Warriors Sky Power: Moonhigh
by Gonilin
Summary: Icepool is a loyal ThunderClan medicine cat. She finished her training within only four moons, and now has her nest next to Leafpool's side. But through the calm, StarClan has ordered her to leave near the heart of leafbare. But she also has some company.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Icepool stretched in her bed and looked around her den. It was a peaceful morning in ThunderClan and she was ready for another day of duties with Leafpool. Leafpool was still sleeping next to her in another bed. She had been her mentor for only six moons, and now she was finally fit to sleep in a nest next to Leafpool with her full medicine cat name.

Icepool walked out of den to the beautiful morning dew on the grass. The dawn light reflected around the clearing of the dew drops. It would be a good day. She and Leafpool had been up late last night fixing the stock that the kits had messed around with.

Icepool walked over to the fresh-kill pile to see it small. The hunting patrols must have not come back yet, so they didn't sleep in to late.

Icepool picked out a mouse from the pile and started eating. As she took her first bite, Leafpool walked out of there den.

"It feels nice to be able to eat early in the morning doesn't it?" said Leafpool as she picked a pigeon. "That's the reward for tough apprentice training then a long night sorting herbs."

"I know! I may work late every night," Icepool answered after swallowing.

After they finished, Icepool stood up and went to check on the elders. In the den she found an apprentice cleaning fleas from Goldenflowers back while listing to tales of Tigerstar.

"How are your joints feeling Mousefur?" asked Icepool.

"Fine," responded Mousefur. She was never in the mood for talking during the beginning of leaf-bare. She hated to have to step on crackled brown leaves just to go do her dirt.

"You shouldn't be the one complaining Mousefur," said Longtail, "you don't have a nose that sets fire when around fresh apprentice droppings, warriors too."

Icepool left the fighting elders to see what Leafpool was doing in their den. When walking across the ground she could feel water on her fur, not just her feet from the dew. She stopped and looked up at the sky, it was perfectly clear, but she knew it would rain. Ever since she first felt the rain on her pelt she could tell when it would rain. She never figured out why, but she never decided to question it either.

"What are you doing Leafpool? Need any help?"

"Sure, were low on catmint, and we have to get more before the top of leaf-bare," said Leafpool. She started to walk out the den. "Coming?"

"Sure."

--------------#-----------------------------------------------#---------------

At the abandoned Twoleg nest, it was nearly sunlight and the clouds started to cover the sun from sight. The soaked feeling in her fur just got worse and worse as they collected the last of the catmint.

"We should get back to camp soon," said Icepool warily, "It's going to rain soon, I can tell."

"Well we should always trust our instincts, and the clouds look dark. Let's head back."

The two cats walked together, using the fastest route back to camp. But only a short walk away they saw Foxes moving into the old set.

"Eek!" Icepool said it a little too loud and attracted the mother's attention.

"Run!" shouted Leafpool.

Leafpool and Icepool ran ran, and ran till they reached the clearing.

"I think we lost it," said Icepool panting, "I need to remember not to do that."

After catching there breath, they decided to keep going before the rain started.

"Looks like were going to have to take the boarder route if were going to stay safe," said Leafpool.

"Ya, I hope we can get back in time."

Along the way by the ShadowClan border, Icepool spotted a sand colored tom stared at her like a queen looks at her kit becoming a warrior. She couldn't do anything but look back at him confused because she had catmint in her mouth.

When they reached the WindClan border they met up with the sunhigh patrol and they decided to stop and chat.

"Hello Ashfoot. How's the pray running?" asked Leafpool setting down her catmint.

"Just fine, thanks," answered Ashfoot.

Leafpool stopped at the sight of the black warrior Crowfeather. Also on the patrol was a white and black cat that she didn't remember.

It was a she-cat with the same spiral stripe around her for paw, only black. It also led to another mark, but not her chest, it let to a spot on her eye. When looking at the spot she noticed how she had a purple steak in each eye, making her look scary. To add to that her teeth were really sharp. And she must have been nervous because she was clawing the ground showing her sharp claws.

"Well I hope you can make it to the gathering tomorrow." Leafpool finished. Icepool and the other she-cat had been studying each other so much Leafpool and the others had already finished talking.

Thunder cracked on the other side of WindClan territory.

"We have to get back to camp fast!" Icepool told them, "The storm could hit us any moment."

Everyone said there good byes and headed back to camp.

--------------#-----------------------------------------------#---------------

Back at camp Leafpool had told Icepool to report the fox to Firstar. So Icepool was entering his den when she noticed he and Sandstorm were sharing tongues. Which he normally dose when he has something bothering him.

"Um, Firestar?" said Icepool.

Firestar looked up, "Yes?"

"Leafpool and I spotted something coming back from the abandoned Twoleg nest," Icepool started.

"What was it?" asked Sandstorm.

"We saw a family of foxes traveling to that abandoned set," she continued. Firestar looked shocked, "The mother chased us all the way to the clearing. We ended up taking the route all the way around the boarder."

"Well that's a problem," said Sandstorm, "Should you send out a patrol?"

"Exactly," said Firestar, "Icepool, can you go get Brambleclaw for me? He should be at the fresh-kill pile with Squirrelflight. She's gotten huge!"

"Yes Firestar."

Icepool walked down the rocks to Brambleclaw. "Firestar wants to speak with you Brambleclaw."

"I'm going," Brambleclaw stood up, "I'll talk to you later Squirrelflight."

Brambleclaw climbed up the rocks to Firestar's den. While he left Squirrelflight had finished. "So how's my sister?" she asked.

"She's fine, we almost got killed by a fox today. That's why Firestar needs to speak with him."

"Just try not to get her killed okay?" she purred. Then she got up and walked back to the nursery. Icepool could tell she was heavily pregnate, but she would keep that to herself.

Then Icepool went into her den just before the rain began to fall on the night grass.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Icepool found herself looking face-to-face with the mysterious Windclan warrior. She had the same evil looking stare, only after looking for a long moment, they didn't look so scary. Instead, she saw a sweet loving cat.

"Rain will fall on Ice, Dawn, and Raven,

The Clouds shall cover Ice,

And Thunder, River, Wind, and Shadow are legends."

Icepool woke up and saw Leafpool sorting the stock.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "You kept mumbling in your sleep. It sounded ...strange."

"Oh, um," Icepool studered, "It was nothing."

Icepool got up feeling embarrassed. Then she walked out the entrance to see how Firestar was doing with the fox problem. So she walked into the clearing and saw that Firestar was leaving the camp alone. Slowly, she took the secret escape route to follow him.

She kept out of sight by keeping at least 5 tail lengths away and using mostly scent to follow him. At one point he climbed a tree and she almost ended up right underneath him. Luckily she realized it in time and managed to jump into a bush disguising the rustling with a squirrel that had just jumped into the same bush. And she ate that squirrel for extra energy, because she was half way to WindClan territory with no food eaten yet.

As she kept going they got closer to the lake, and the scent of WindClan grew stronger, and she could hear the poring of water into the lake. As they neared the border, she also caught a slight whiff of ShadowClan, probably from early that morning. At the border, she saw some wet paw prints. And the only cats who would get in the water are RiverClan. Something was going on here, and Firestar didn't tell anyone. Or maybe he told…

When right at the boarder, she lifted her head from the scent trail and saw the strange warrior looking at her from across the river. She saw the same look in her eyes from the warrior in her dream.

"Um," for a moment she thought the sweet voice she herd was from her own. But it was the warriors. "I should get back to camp," said the warrior, and she walked back into her territory, and so did Icepool.

"Hey Leafpool," asked Icepool, "Why is it so wrong to have friends in other clans?"

"Well think about Icepool," she started, "what if you went into battle against each other? What would you do if your friend died by your own family?"

"Oh," responded Icepool quietly, "Never mind then."

They were in their den around sunhigh. Icepool was about to get some sleep before the gathering, and Leafpool was making sure they had a full supply for leaf-bare. Icepool was lying in her nest and she remembered the strange warrior from WindClan. That's when she asked Leafpool. She decided she was going to meet her at the gathering that night. Then she went to sleep.

Icepool walked across the fallen tree and walked into the center of the island, then sat down in her normal spot, but found the clearing empty. Except for two cats, one looking up at the tree, the other climbing the tree to a branch that she had never seen before. The warrior in the tree was gray with dark gray stripes, lighter grey feet, and the same light gray shade as a star on her forehead.

The other warrior was the same WindClan warrior again.

"What's going on?" Icepool shouted to StarClan, "Why do I keep seeing this warrior? And who is the other one?"

The next thing she saw was the sitting in the warriors spot and saw herself and the gray warrior from her view.

"Wow," was all she could get out of her mouth. But then she woke up from a sudden shaking.

"Icepool! Come on! Time to go!"

Icepool walked across the fallen tree and walked into the center of the island, then sat down in her normal spot, and looked around the clearing. She saw the two warriors again, but instead of the gray one in the tree, she was walking over to the warrior. She watched the two for a while until they turned there heads to her, and she quickly looked down at her paws.

When she looked back they were talking again. Then she heard the leaders sound and she looked to the tree, though she never paid that much attention. She couldn't get her mind off the warriors. Were they talking about her? Did they have the same dream she had?

After the gathering, Icepool followed ThunderClan off the island like usual. Only she noticed the white and black warrior wasn't with WindClan. She turned around and saw her swimming back to the gathering island. Quietly she followed her onto the island, keeping low and quiet.

When she got out of the water she noticed the water instantly fell off her fur. After recovering from shock, she saw the gray warrior climbing the tree onto Leopardstar's spot.

"This is awesome!" she said, "I wish I was at least deputy, I could sit on the roots and look up to them."

"I don't really want to be deputy," said the other warrior looking up to the gray warrior, "they might mistake my clan for evil."

"You don't look evil," said Icepool. The she-cats turned, "you look nice."

"Ya right," she said, "I saw the way u looked at me before."

"Well I was wrong, you look nice."

"You owe me a fish Dawnleaf," said the other cat out of nowhere.

"Fine," Dawnleaf answered, "just show me how to catch one first."

"What?" Icepool asked, confused.

"I told her I would catch her a fish if you came," admitted Dawnleaf, "I didn't think you would. Mouse dung. I wish I didn't do that with you Ravenheart. I should have taken the warning when you said you always win."

"Did I miss something," Icepool asked, "How did you know I would come?"

"Well it might sound weird but," started Ravenheart, "but we had dreams from StarClan to come here."

"Really?" said Icepool, "I kind of did too."

"Ya," said Dawnleaf, "Don't you think it's weird that three normal warriors from different clans would have dreams like that huh?"

"Totally," answered Ravenheart.

"Uh, hate to break it to you," started Icepool, "I'm not a warrior.

"What?" they said at once.

"You know, moonpool, healing clan, your own den, and no kits?"

They just stood there for a long moment.

"Um," said Dawnleaf, "how did I not notice! I thought you were a warrior and you had herbs in your mouth! I need to pay attention more."

"Calm down," said Icepool, "I forgive you."

"Good."

The three talked all night till they realized the moon was setting, and then they rushed back to camp to get some sleep.

"Well someone had a small amount of sleep."

Icepool was jolted awake by the sound of Leafpool's voice, "Huh?" she said still sleepy.

"You stayed on the gathering island till almost dawn," she said, "what did I tell you about making friends in other clans?"

"But Leafpool!" Icepool pleaded, "I had just met them, and they felt like kin to me!"

"It doesn't matter Icepool! You can't just make friends in other clans! What if we go to battle?"

"I thought you said medicine cats stayed out of clan fueds," mentioned Icepool angrily.

After a long moment Leafpool said, "Just get some extra sleep. We'll talk later."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Icepool stretched after a great sleep and looked to Leafpool next to her. She was her mentor and her best friend, yet she felt like she was going to say good-bye forever soon. Then she realized that was the scent coming off of Leafpool. So she closed her eyes and saw her dream.

Leafpool was talking to the cat Spottedleaf. She seemed sad.

"I'm sorry Leafpool," she said, "But when she leaves no one can ever remember her family. They only can be remembered if StarClan whishes it."

Icepool couldn't believe it, "But then what will everyone think happened for twelve moons?" asked Leafpool.

"Everyone will think that it's been a peaceful time. Don't worry though. Every half moon, you will meet her in your dreams. There you will remember everything that you shared together. But you will forget everything about her again when you wake up. I'm very sorry. But it's the way it has to be."

Leafpool looked sadly at the ground, but soon everything faded and she was back in the den. But before Leafpool woke up, Icepool went back to sleep to ask Spottedleaf something.

She was in the same spot as before, and so was Spottedleaf. She walked up to her and asked, "Why Spottedleaf?"

Spottedleaf looked up at her, "A prophesy was told long ago, before we knew your family was coming. You staying would destroy what is supposed to happen. But don't worry; you will be a medicine cat.

Rain you shall find,

Cloud and Star's time over,

And destiny awaits three sisters.

You will find this prophesy past the Tribe of Endless Hunting. There you will find us, and more."

Great, she thought, another prophesy.

Then she woke up. Leafpool was looking really sad. Icepool was sad too. Icepool was afraid to ask. But Leafpool asked her.

"Did you have a dream too?"

"In a way. What did yours say? Mine had an odd prophesy."

"Um," she stuttered, "never mind."

The day seemed strange. That morning Lakeheart was busy with patrols all day, and Leafpool was sad all day. So at about sunhigh she went to the abandon twoleg nest to gather some catmint.

"Mmmmrrrrrrr," she herd a voice coming from the brush, "Oooowwww! Mrow!"

Icepool ran toward the voice. In a small clearing she found a sand colored tom. He was scratched up badly, every cut open. But then she relized, this wasn't a sand colored tom, it was the sand colored tom.

"Great StarClan!" she screamed, "Are you okay?"

The tom could only groan. He was really badly hurt. She could never bring a full grown tom so far back to camp. But to her luck, she could smell a patrol coming. Smelling closer, she could tell it was a new hunting patrol with Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, and Sandstorm. Then she remembered something, Lakeheart was scheduled for a hunting patrol around now, and when they came into the clearing there she was. They all stared at the tom, especially Lakeheart.

"Don't just stand there as if you just saw the ghost of Tigerstar!" she scolded, "Help me get him to camp!"

Brambleclaw and Dustpelt quickly came and picked up the tom's front and back, while Sandstorm took the middle, and Lakeheart held up his head. They walked like that the entire way back while Icepool used some herbs she found on the ground along the way to help the tom's wounds.

Back at camp, they set the cat down the tom in a nest in the medicine cat den, then Brambleclaw-with Dustpelt as a witness-went to tell Firestar about the tom, and Sandstorm went back to her den. But Lakeheart just looked at the tom. She sat there looking while she applied the herbs, covered the wounds with cobwebs, and when she got wet moss and a mouse for when he woke up.

"Lakeheart?" she couldn't help asking, "Are you okay?"

"Huh," she seemed to just snap out of her thoughts, "I'm fine, it's just…the last time I saw Sandpelt was in-" she stopped for a moment, but didn't go on.

"RiverClan?" Icepool guessed.

"How did you-"

"Ravenheart kind of told me," she stopped, "did you say Sandpelt?"

"Looks like you can't figure out everything, so I'll tell you. We know each other quite well," she stopped after thinking for a moment, "Ravenheart? You met her? Well I guess you had to at some point. I bet you are scheduled to meet her tonight at the gathering island to I guess?"

It was true. While she was in RiverClan she was arranging meeting times with her and Dawnleaf-she was told when they crossed patrols.

"I'm starting to get confused," said Icepool, "can you explain some things here?"

"Tell you what," she started, "You take me and Sandpelt with you to the island, and we'll tell you three there. Deal?"

Icepool thought a moment. She did want to know. But was it safe to bring her mother and a strange warrior with her to see her friends from other clans?

"Fine," she agreed, "but no telling this to Firestar."

"Agreed."

Sometimes it felt good to tell Lakeheart what to do, even though usually mothers have more authority than there kits, being a medicine cat, she had almost equal power as a deputy. And this way she also gets off the hook for snapping at senior warriors earlier. But that wasn't why she became a medicine cat, yes she liked the power, but she also loved the reward. She could get close with StarClan, and heal her clan. It was the best thing ever.

That night, Sandpelt eventually woke up, and, surprisingly, asked to sleep with Lakeheart that night. They must have been close. But then she remembered something, Sandpelt was a ShadowClan warrior! What if they went to battle with ThunderClan? Then they would get in trouble if they had to fight. Why couldn't he join WindClan instead? It would be safer. Unless StarClan told him to go to ShadowClan instead. But why would they? There had to be a reason.

Then a new thought struck her, she would be a weakness if she went to battle with any clan! What could she do? Well, she thought, it can't get any worse than this. Can it?

!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$(no this is not disguised cussing)

After they took a short nap, they all got together, holding up Sandpelt, and snuck out of camp through a secret cave she discovered through the back of the medicine cat den. From there, they crossed the stream, went across WindClan territory, and made it to the fallen tree.

"How can Sandpelt get across?" asked Icepool.

"Just because I'm not RiverClan anymore, doesn't mean I can't swim," he remarked. He had a deep voice, but not deep enough to sound really tough.

Sandpelt jumped in and started swimming, while the two she-cats crossed the fallen tree.

On the other side Lakeheart licked Sandpelt dry while Icepool entered the main clearing.

"It's about time you got here!" shouted Dawnleaf, "What took so long? You usually can get here in half the time? Did you have something slowing you?" she seemed to be trying to keep something off topic.

"And it looks like someone owes me another fish!" said Ravenheart, "And like Dawnleaf said, what took so long?"

"Well I found Sandpelt for you," started Icepool.

"Really?" she jumped down from the tree, "what did he say about my mother?"

"Why don't you ask me yourself?"

Sandpelt walked into the clearing with Lakeheart next to him.

Icepool's friends just stared.

"Can you give us a moment," asked Dawnleaf. She walked the two cats behind the tree before saying, "What were you thinking!"

Icepool responded, "That she somehow knows you two, and that we've been meeting. And she also knows Sandpelt quite well and Ravenheart wanted me to ask Sandpelt something. And that they won't give any answers unless I took them here for them to say to all of you."

After a long moment Dawnleaf said, "That's a good answer."

"If you don't mind I'd like to ask my question," said Ravenheart, and she walked over to Sandpelt. "A RiverClan elder told me that you know my mother. Can you tell me who she is?"

Lakeheart and Sandpelt looked at each other, and then waited for Dawnleaf and Icepool to come out.

"I do know who you mother is," he started, "I also know Dawnleaf's mother, and you father Icepool. But let me start this way," he looked at Lakeheart to start.

"As you know," she started, "I was found drowning in the lake in RiverClan territory many moons ago. There I met Sandpelt. We had a beautiful kit there, but Hawkfrost was so mean that I was forced to flee to ThunderClan, granting entry with the fact that I said I would kill any RiverClan warrior if I had to."

Sandpelt continued the story, "Afraid of keeping Lakeheart back, I decided to flee from RiverClan myself. I would have gone to WindClan, but StarClan told me other wise. So that night I left to ShadowClan."

Then Lakeheart cut in and continued it, "But I was already with two other kits before I left. One of them is still in ThunderClan, and the other, by StarClan's order, was sent to WindClan."

"So who are the kits?" asked Dawnleaf.

"Who was the RiverClan kit?" asked Ravenheart.

"I'm guessing I'm the ThunderClan kit," said Icepool.

"You are right Icepool," said Lakeheart, "you are my ThunderClan kit. Dawnleaf, the WindClan kit, is you. Ravenheart, you are the RiverClan kit."

The three newly recognized sisters all looked at them in shock.

And destiny awaits three sisters...

Sandpelt broke the scilence, "Lakeheart and I, are all of your parents."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Icepool stretched after a great sleep and looked to Leafpool next to her. She was her mentor and her best friend, yet she felt like she was going to say good-bye forever soon. Then she realized that was the scent coming off of Leafpool. So she closed her eyes and saw her dream.

Leafpool was talking to the cat Spottedleaf. She seemed sad.

"I'm sorry Leafpool," she said, "But when she leaves no one can ever remember her family. They only can be remembered if StarClan whishes it."

Icepool couldn't believe it, "But then what will everyone think happened for twelve moons?" asked Leafpool.

"Everyone will think that it's been a peaceful time. Don't worry though. Every half moon, you will meet her in your dreams. There you will remember everything that you shared together. But you will forget everything about her again when you wake up. I'm very sorry. But it's the way it has to be."

Leafpool looked sadly at the ground, but soon everything faded and she was back in the den. But before Leafpool woke up, Icepool went back to sleep to ask Spottedleaf something.

She was in the same spot as before, and so was Spottedleaf. She walked up to her and asked, "Why Spottedleaf?"

Spottedleaf looked up at her, "A prophesy was told long ago, before we knew your family was coming. You staying would destroy what is supposed to happen. But don't worry; you will be a medicine cat.

Rain you shall find,

Cloud and Star's time over,

And destiny awaits three sisters.

You will find this prophesy past the Tribe of Endless Hunting. There you will find us, and more."

Great, she thought, another prophesy.

Then she woke up. Leafpool was looking really sad. Icepool was sad too. Icepool was afraid to ask. But Leafpool asked her.

"Did you have a dream too?"

"In a way. What did yours say? Mine had an odd prophesy."

"Um," she stuttered, "never mind."

The day seemed strange. That morning Lakeheart was busy with patrols all day, and Leafpool was sad all day. So at about sunhigh she went to the abandon twoleg nest to gather some catmint.

"Mmmmrrrrrrr," she herd a voice coming from the brush, "Oooowwww! Mrow!"

Icepool ran toward the voice. In a small clearing she found a sand colored tom. He was scratched up badly, every cut open. But then she relized, this wasn't a sand colored tom, it was the sand colored tom.

"Great StarClan!" she screamed, "Are you okay?"

The tom could only groan. He was really badly hurt. She could never bring a full grown tom so far back to camp. But to her luck, she could smell a patrol coming. Smelling closer, she could tell it was a new hunting patrol with Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, and Sandstorm. Then she remembered something, Lakeheart was scheduled for a hunting patrol around now, and when they came into the clearing there she was. They all stared at the tom, especially Lakeheart.

"Don't just stand there as if you just saw the ghost of Tigerstar!" she scolded, "Help me get him to camp!"

Brambleclaw and Dustpelt quickly came and picked up the tom's front and back, while Sandstorm took the middle, and Lakeheart held up his head. They walked like that the entire way back while Icepool used some herbs she found on the ground along the way to help the tom's wounds.

Back at camp, they set the cat down the tom in a nest in the medicine cat den, then Brambleclaw-with Dustpelt as a witness-went to tell Firestar about the tom, and Sandstorm went back to her den. But Lakeheart just looked at the tom. She sat there looking while she applied the herbs, covered the wounds with cobwebs, and when she got wet moss and a mouse for when he woke up.

"Lakeheart?" she couldn't help asking, "Are you okay?"

"Huh," she seemed to just snap out of her thoughts, "I'm fine, it's just…the last time I saw Sandpelt was in-" she stopped for a moment, but didn't go on.

"RiverClan?" Icepool guessed.

"How did you-"

"Ravenheart kind of told me," she stopped, "did you say Sandpelt?"

"Looks like you can't figure out everything, so I'll tell you. We know each other quite well," she stopped after thinking for a moment, "Ravenheart? You met her? Well I guess you had to at some point. I bet you are scheduled to meet her tonight at the gathering island to I guess?"

It was true. While she was in RiverClan she was arranging meeting times with her and Dawnleaf-she was told when they crossed patrols.

"I'm starting to get confused," said Icepool, "can you explain some things here?"

"Tell you what," she started, "You take me and Sandpelt with you to the island, and we'll tell you three there. Deal?"

Icepool thought a moment. She did want to know. But was it safe to bring her mother and a strange warrior with her to see her friends from other clans?

"Fine," she agreed, "but no telling this to Firestar."

"Agreed."

Sometimes it felt good to tell Lakeheart what to do, even though usually mothers have more authority than there kits, being a medicine cat, she had almost equal power as a deputy. And this way she also gets off the hook for snapping at senior warriors earlier. But that wasn't why she became a medicine cat, yes she liked the power, but she also loved the reward. She could get close with StarClan, and heal her clan. It was the best thing ever.

That night, Sandpelt eventually woke up, and, surprisingly, asked to sleep with Lakeheart that night. They must have been close. But then she remembered something, Sandpelt was a ShadowClan warrior! What if they went to battle with ThunderClan? Then they would get in trouble if they had to fight. Why couldn't he join WindClan instead? It would be safer. Unless StarClan told him to go to ShadowClan instead. But why would they? There had to be a reason.

Then a new thought struck her, she would be a weakness if she went to battle with any clan! What could she do? Well, she thought, it can't get any worse than this. Can it?

!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$&!#$(no this is not disguised cussing)

After they took a short nap, they all got together, holding up Sandpelt, and snuck out of camp through a secret cave she discovered through the back of the medicine cat den. From there, they crossed the stream, went across WindClan territory, and made it to the fallen tree.

"How can Sandpelt get across?" asked Icepool.

"Just because I'm not RiverClan anymore, doesn't mean I can't swim," he remarked. He had a deep voice, but not deep enough to sound really tough.

Sandpelt jumped in and started swimming, while the two she-cats crossed the fallen tree.

On the other side Lakeheart licked Sandpelt dry while Icepool entered the main clearing.

"It's about time you got here!" shouted Dawnleaf, "What took so long? You usually can get here in half the time? Did you have something slowing you?" she seemed to be trying to keep something off topic.

"And it looks like someone owes me another fish!" said Ravenheart, "And like Dawnleaf said, what took so long?"

"Well I found Sandpelt for you," started Icepool.

"Really?" she jumped down from the tree, "what did he say about my mother?"

"Why don't you ask me yourself?"

Sandpelt walked into the clearing with Lakeheart next to him.

Icepool's friends just stared.

"Can you give us a moment," asked Dawnleaf. She walked the two cats behind the tree before saying, "What were you thinking!"

Icepool responded, "That she somehow knows you two, and that we've been meeting. And she also knows Sandpelt quite well and Ravenheart wanted me to ask Sandpelt something. And that they won't give any answers unless I took them here for them to say to all of you."

After a long moment Dawnleaf said, "That's a good answer."

"If you don't mind I'd like to ask my question," said Ravenheart, and she walked over to Sandpelt. "A RiverClan elder told me that you know my mother. Can you tell me who she is?"

Lakeheart and Sandpelt looked at each other, and then waited for Dawnleaf and Icepool to come out.

"I do know who you mother is," he started, "I also know Dawnleaf's mother, and you father Icepool. But let me start this way," he looked at Lakeheart to start.

"As you know," she started, "I was found drowning in the lake in RiverClan territory many moons ago. There I met Sandpelt. We had a beautiful kit there, but Hawkfrost was so mean that I was forced to flee to ThunderClan, granting entry with the fact that I said I would kill any RiverClan warrior if I had to."

Sandpelt continued the story, "Afraid of keeping Lakeheart back, I decided to flee from RiverClan myself. I would have gone to WindClan, but StarClan told me other wise. So that night I left to ShadowClan."

Then Lakeheart cut in and continued it, "But I was already with two other kits before I left. One of them is still in ThunderClan, and the other, by StarClan's order, was sent to WindClan."

"So who are the kits?" asked Dawnleaf.

"Who was the RiverClan kit?" asked Ravenheart.

"I'm guessing I'm the ThunderClan kit," said Icepool.

"You are right Icepool," said Lakeheart, "you are my ThunderClan kit. Dawnleaf, the WindClan kit, is you. Ravenheart, you are the RiverClan kit."

The three newly recognized sisters all looked at them in shock.

And destiny awaits three sisters...

Sandpelt broke the scilence, "Lakeheart and I, are all of your parents."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The she-cats just stood there for what seemed like moons. Their parents stood there with the loudest sound in the clearing, there beating hearts.

"Why didn't you tell me I wasn't an only kit before!" broke out Icepool, "I could have had a friend through apprenticeship to talk about my problems to!"

"Icepool we all know that sister or no sister, you couldn't talk to anyone except you mentor about you medicine cat problems," said Lakeheart.

"Why did you send me to WindClan?" asked Dawnleaf, "Why couldn't I stay with you?"

"I'm really sorry Dawnleaf," said Lakeheart, "It wasn't my wish to send you there, the leaders said that StarClan wanted them to in a dream. So the two met one night and gave you to WindClan. They promised to take care of you till the time came, and they've done a fine job."

Dawnleaf sat down shocked, "That must be why Onestar was my mentor," she said quietly, "so I wouldn't ask who my parents are and not get an answer. He always told me they were killed."

Lakeheart went over and sat next to her, "It's okay, you know now, and that's what's important."

"Why'd you leave me in RiverClan?" asked Ravenheart, "you could've taken me with you."

"You had so a good life in RiverClan," said Sandpelt, "Leopardstar already had your mentor ready the time we left. We couldn't take you away from that."

"Why do you think StarClan led us to all the clans?" asked Icepool, "We could of stayed in RiverClan all together."

None of the cats could answer so they just decided to talk about how they grew up to there parents.

The family stayed on the island till half way till dawn before saying farwell to Ravenheart and heading back with Dawnleaf. Eventualy they left her to go back to camp while they continued to ThunderClan. In Icepool's den, Sandpelt lay down in his nest, and Lakeheart went to the warriors den. Then Icepool went to sleep.

$$$#$#&$$&&(#&($&

Icepool walked through the forest, that night with a strange feeling in her heart. Even thinking about the feeling made it worse, because Ravenheart had heart in her name. Even the leaves on the ground reminded her of her sisters-Dawnleaf and Ravenheart.

Then she relized she was being followed. She turned and saw a black starry pelted she-cat she'd never seen before.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"You will," she answered, "you and your sisters shall save Rain from great troubles. Then my Star's time will end. Only Ice can save Rain. Why didn't I see it before?"

Icepool was confused, "Rain? Is that a group of cats? Would that make Ice me? I'm in Thunder-" she couldn't say 'clan' for some reason. It was like she couldn't say anything full. She could only speak in propheseis(like she could only say what we call the suffix).

Before she could do anything about her questions, her pelt began to feel insanely wet, to wet. She woke up to a strangly dark night. Her pelt was to wet to move. Then it started to rain and her pelt was so dry it was as if she had never seen dew, rain, or fog in moons. Then it got so loud she couldn't hear her own thoughts. Thunder began to roll and lighting flash. She walked out of the den and heard it louder, and every few seconds she could hear cowering kits. It must be louder in the nursery.

She ran over and woke up Leafpool.

"What?" she asked drowsily, "I was having the best dream in a moon."

"We need to get the kits into our den!" she tried to shout over the rain, "StarClan knows what all the scare could do the kits!"

Leafpool quickly decided not to question and they both ran to the nursery. Inside they woke up the queens and took them and the kits to the medicine cat den.

"I can't nurse them like this!" shouted Squrrilflight, "And they need to be nursed when they're scared. Especially Hollykit, she hates the rain."

"Right," said Icepool, "I'll keep them warm, you try to dry off."

Squrrilflight had only givin birth a few days ago, and the three kits where so small.

Icepool curled up around the mewling kits to keep them warm while Squirrlflight dried off. She closed her eyes in fear of the storm, she herself was afraid of it. When she closed her eyes, she saw Spottedleaf.

All she did was say, "The Rain needs you now," and pointed to the storm over the lake, "Go there."

Then she opened her eyes, and let Squirrlflight take over with her kits. Then she told Leafpool she'd be right back, and went out of camp. She kept running till she reached the drop of to the lake.

She looked out at the lake and saw a massive funnel of water covering the entire lake, but not high enough to reach the sky. She looked into the water, and saw a group of cats fighting for there lives against a huge group of dark cats. All she could do was look in horror as she watched tons of warriors on both sides taking huge blows and being killed. She was scared stiff as she saw the cat from her dream take a blow that looked like a killing blow, but she stood up, then ran. Then she saw a cloud-gray cat get knocked over, like he was killed. The killer was a jet-black tom with amber eyes.

For a moment, there was nothing. And when it returned, the cat was slightly bigger and facing sideways, as if saying, "What have you done mouse-brain," only an even bigger insult.

But just as the tom was about to pounce, the gray tom sticked a blow across the cats eye. The cat then fled, and it was gone again. Moments passed and still nothing more. Just as she was about to turn and leave, it came back. She saw the black cat running, with a terrified look in his eyes. Then a gray flash, and it was fully over. She just heard triumphant yowls...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Icepool couldn't get back to sleep that night. She couldn't get the horror of her vision out of her head. What evil cat would do that? At least that good cat had more than one life. Or the other cat would have triumphed.

Where was that? All she could see was a large river. Maybe that was Rain. The winning leader and his followers must be them. How do I get there?

Icepool stood up and walked out into the clearing and looked up at the moon. The storm clouds had already cleared after dumping tons of rain on the territories. It was so peaceful here, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to leave and live a new lifestyle. Unless, the other cats lived in the same way. But is still wouldn't be the same.

She could hear a voice in her head, "Some things never change Icepool," it said, "and the moon and stars are the same, no matter where you are. Your family will always stay as it is. Even before you knew it, you and your sisters, you mother, and you father, they've always been family."

As the voice faded she realized it was right, some things never do change. She will always see the same moon and stars, and no matter where she went, she knew one day, she would join StarClan. Feeling better, she walked back into her den and got some sleep.

That morning the queens and there kits moved back to the nursery, and the first of the snow began to fall. By sunhigh the ground was covered in snow enough to cover an entire kit in snow.

"The snow's coming in fast," said Leafpool, "The apprentices are having trouble training. They can't get through the snow."

"So am I!" exclaimed Icepool. She was still the size of an apprentice, so she also had trouble moving trough the snow and she could tell more was coming. But she couldn't feel it as well as the rain.

It was almost sunset and they decided to check out the training hollow. The snow came down all day. So on the way there, Icepool had to dig tunnels through the snow, and use the ones the other apprentices already dug.

When they reached the place where to hollow was supposed to be, all they saw was more snow.

"Did we get off the path?" asked Leafpool.

"Nope," said Icepool, "were in the perfect spot."

Icepool started digging until she reached the sand of the hollow, "Come down here!" she shouted back up, "I found it!"

Leafpool jumped down the hole after her, "It's cool down here," she said, "Did you dig that tunnel too?"

Icepool turned around, "I didn't dig that."

Just after she said that, they herd Brambleclaw shouting from above, "Berrypaw! Berrypaw where are you?"

Then before they could call up to him he fell in the hole, and landed on Icepool.

"Um, ouch," she said painfully.

"Sorry," he said, "Have you seen Berrypaw?" he asked, "He went after a rabbit a little while ago then disappeared."

"Haven't seen him," answered Icepool, "but I'll keep and eye out for him. Just after I look through this tunnel...well I would look in the tunnel but I have a deputy on me."

"But you don't know who or what made that," said Leafpool concerned, "Maybe you should leave it be and we can look for Berrypaw."

Ignoring her mentor, she crawled out from under Brambleclaw, and into the tunnel. She expected one of them to go after her, but she realized the tunnel was two small for them. She kept going for a long time before coming to a small room at the other end of the hollow. Inside, it was quite warmer than on the surface, but still quite cold. Then, in the center of the room, she saw a shivering apprentice with a short tail curled up in a ball.

"Berrypaw!" Icepool ran over to him, "Are you okay? How long have you been at here?"

"I-I'm not sure," he shivered, "the snow gave out beneath me and I tried to find the side of the hollow and climb out, but all my muscles feel frozen."

Icepool started licking his fur to warm him. Then she yelled as loud as she could out the tunnel, "Leafpool, Brambleclaw!" she shouted, "Get to the other side of the hollow and start digging!" After she said that she heard scratching at the snow above her, "Lets move so we don't get fallen on."

Icepool pushed Berrypaw over a little just in time for them to fall in the clearing

"Berrypaw!" said Brambleclaw, "Thank StarClan! What happened?"

"Don't let him waste heat talking," Leafpool scolded Brambleclaw, "Start digging out of here!"

The two medicine cats started curling up around and licking Berrrypaw like a newborn kit. Brambleclaw kept digging at the snow until he reached the surface.

"Come on! Let's get back to the hollow," he ordered. The three cats picked up Berrypaw and ran back to the hollow.

In the hollow, they ran to the medicine cat den and covered Berrypaw in warm moss and straw. Icepool and Leafpool worked together to mix the right herbs for him. Brambleclaw went to tell Firestar that all cats need to stay clear of the training hallow, while Berrypaw went to the apprentices den to sleep for the rest of the day. Which wasn't that long, because it was already sunset.

Icepool felt good about the day, but it also felt like something was missing. The day seemed to short for what was happening lately. There had to be more. But still confused, she drifted to sleep in her nest.

Icepool walked toward the strange black starry cat. She knew that the cat wasn't a StarClan cat, but yet still had stars in her pelt.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am Star, Ice," she said, "and here we cannot say anything like a real conversation. You still have not mastered your power of walking in other cats' dreams, when you do, we can talk normally."

"I don't understand," said Icepool, "What is Rain? Another clan? But I'm a Thunder cat. Even more a medicine cat, my clan needs me there."

"Your clan has been blessed with two medicine cats, and I swear by Star, Rain needs you more."

As the cat faded away she thought about the mysterious clan that needed her. How can I leave? She wonderd, can I really go to a different clan? She new they believed in StarClan because the Star cat swore by them. But she had never seen a cat of StarClan that wasn't of the four clans. Maybe they had a different StarClan.

While she was sitting there alone in the clearing, Spottedleaf walked up to her, "I know this will be hard," she said, "but you need to go to RainClan as fast as possible."

Icepool was shocked for several reasons. For one, how did Spottedleaf say the full name in this forest when she couldn't, and how could she leave the clan of her birth? "But why?' she asked, "I just discovered my family, and how do I find them? And why can we speak normally again Spottedleaf?"

"Slow down a little," she said calmly, "Your family will come with you. You are all to go to RainClan. You may have been born here, but your heart was born somewhere else."

"How can your heart be born where your not? You're not making any sense."

Before Icepool could keep going on asking questions, she woke up a tabby paw prodding her awake. It was Brambleclaw. Sometimes Icepool wondered how in the name of StarClan he became deputy.

"Finely," he sounded annoyed when she got up, "Firestar wants to speak with you. He said it was urgent. So I'd go fast, nothings ever urgent unless a cat's about to join StarClan."

Without asking any questions she stretched and leaped up the rocks to Firestar's den by the highledge. She could sense he was worried by the tone of his voice when he told her to come in.

"Is something wrong Firestar?" she asked, "You don't sound well." As she spoke she was trying to hide the fact she probably didn't feel any better than him. She couldn't get that dream out of her head. And something was telling her it wasn't about to leave.

"I had a dream last night," he started, "and I need your help with it."

"Maybe I should get Leafpool," she answered, "She has more experience and-"

"No, I need your help," he interrupted. He motioned with his tail to sit down, "Last night, I saw Spottedleaf - you know her right? She was the medicine cat when I first came to ThunderClan." Icepool nodded and he went on, "I was at the moonpool, and she told me there is a group of cats that will be leaving the lake." His voice began to shake slightly as he continued, "Then, in the pool, I saw a white and black she-cat, a sand colored tom with a lake blue she-cat. Then there was a large gray she-cat in the back, and a she-cat that looked like you in the front."

There was a slight pause and Icepool thought, "Is my time to leave this forest soon? I thought I would at least get to go to the next gathering."

Then he continued, sounding a little better, "Have StarClan come to you about anything? Are you leaving ThunderClan?" slightly quieter she thought she heard him say, "Like you sister?"

Sitting up straighter, trying to seem more confident, she said, "I believe I am."

"And you're going through with it?"

"You must understand," she protested, "I've been having visions of cats, fighting and suffering. They seemed to be fighting the world for there lives. And I keep seeing this cat too, but I haven't gotten her full name. All I know is she has 'star' in her name."

"So you think she is their leader?"

"I'm not sure, in one vision, I saw another cat from her group get killed, then come back to life just like a leader with nine lives would. And I saw Spottedleaf too. She told me I must hurry before their clan is destroyed."

Firestar seemed to be having trouble taking it all in. Icepool had just then realized as she had been talking she stood up, so as calmly as she could, she sat back down.

"Well then take you group and go. The clans can manage here. You will forever be remembered in ThunderClan."

Slowly they both got up and walked out to the highledge. Firestar stopped at the edge and spoke the same words as he would normally call a meeting with. Slowly the clan gathered below and Icepool heart began to race.

Icepool wasn't even listening when Firestar began to speak. She was looking at the sad look on her mentors face as she looked back at her. Leafpool knew this was coming, but she didn't seem to be ready for it. Then she looked out over the shocked faces of the clan. Then she looked back to Firestar who was beginning to end the meeting.

"Icepool, you will always be welcome here at ThunderClan, and you will always be remembered here."

Firestar leaped down the rocks, Icepool followed slowly as the clan began to come and say goodbye.

Icepool licked her chest in embarresment as the clan gathered around her saying their goodbyes.

"I'll realy miss you Icepool," Berrypaw said, "and I'll always remember you."

Icepool wished he was right. The sad truth is none of them would remember her. Spottedleaf said they would only remember at the moonpool, which for most cats, they would never be able to go there.

The last to say good bye was Leafpool. She walked up to her and touched noses with Icepool. She could see the hurt in her eyes as they walked toward the enterence together.

"I will miss you Icepool," she said, "I will see you at the half moon, if you find a way to speak with StarClan by then."

"I'll never forget everything you taught me. About herbs and wounds, and about StarClan."

"May StarClan light your path." Leafpool touched noses with her one last time before watching Icepool leave the camp.

Am I doing the right thing? She wondered, StarClan, please help me!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Icepool walked to the very edge of the stream marking the border to WindClan territory and stopped. She looked back at the territory she grew up in. I can never go back, she thought, it's too late for that now.

Icepool was about to cross the river when her herd rustling in the bushes behind her. She looked back again and saw Lakeheart and Sandpelt come through the bushes.

"You didn't think you'd leave without us did you?" said Lakeheart, "You're one of our only kits; we're not just saying goodbye and letting you go."

"But-" Icepool was about to tell them to go back, but she decided to let them come along. Sandpelt's wounds were just about fully healed, and Lakeheart could be good company too. So instead she said, "Okay then. But on one condition."

"Anything," answered Sandpelt almost evidently.

"You're still not strong enough to make the trip around the lake Sandpelt," she started, "Tonight we're all sleeping at the moonpool anyway, so you meet me there and I'll get Dawnleaf and Ravenheart. Okay?"

The two nodded and began to set off toward the moonpool. Knowing them they won't actually go into the hollow without the medicine cat or a leader, so she new they would just make makeshift nests outside the hollow.

Icepool lightly stepped through the stream and shook off her paws at the other side. Staying close to the lake, Icepool crept along keeping her ears pricked for a WindClan patrol. As she went farther down the lake, she could smell strong WindClan scent coming toward her. She quickly leapt behind a bush and peered out to see that it was no threat.

"Come on Icepool, I could scent you five fox-lengths away!"

Dawnleaf's remarks never did sit well with Icepool, but she decided to keep her mouth shut and just say, "Why are you alone? I figured that you were a patrol. With how noisy your paws are on the ground you could have been your whole clan!"

Dawnleaf tail suddenly dropped and her whiskers drooped, "My old clan. A strange StarClan cat told me to leave to find this endangered group of cats. I hope I did the right thing." Her voice trailed off. Icepool always figured nothing could upset Dawnleaf. She always seemed happy, as if nothing was wrong with life.

"That's why I'm here," said Icepool. Waking closer she said, "We all have to help these cats. And there's no reason to fear your clan will miss you. Spottedleaf told me that now they have to go to the moonpool to even remember who we are. She said we were interfering with some long ago told prophesy."

"So we left our clan for a stupid prophesy!" hissed Dawnleaf. Her fur started to stand up but then fell again, "Sorry, I just can't believe we actually left. We should go find Ravenheart too. I wonder how she's taking this."

The two she-cats walked along the lake into RiverClan territory. Icepool didn't even look at the island when they passed the fallen tree. She could never go to any of these places after they left. It would be better if she just didn't think about them and kept going.

When they reached the stream, they began to head toward the camp up stream. Suddenly something hit her in the side knocking the breath out of her. She hissed and looked up to see Ravenheart on top of her.

"Did you miss me so bad you wanted to trespass on RiverClan territory?" she asked.

Dawnleaf pushed her of Icepool, "You know that's not why we're here Ravenheart."

"I know," Ravenheart sat down, "I can't believe we all left our clans just to find some other cats. It's not fair! Just because they're suffering doesn't mean that we have to dose it?"

Icepool walked over and gave her a swift lick across her shoulder- since she couldn't reach her ear still being the size of an apprentice.

"It's not to bad," she started, "now we can all live together instead of having rivalry just because we're in different clans."

"But what if there are other clans with RainClan?" asked Dawnleaf.

"Yah," said Ravenheart, "When hedgehogs fly."

"I agree with Ravenheart," said Icepool, "and if there are more clans, then we'll all stay in one clan. Promise?"

Dawnleaf and Ravenheart looked at each other and answered, "Promise."

It was almost twilight when the three she-cats walked up the hill to the hollow where the moonpool lay. She started to smell the familiar scent of her mother and father when Ravenheart stopped her with her tail.

"You didn't tell me that they'd be coming," she said, sounding annoyed.

"What's wrong with bringing them? They followed me out of camp this morning."

"Yah Ravenheart, I thought you liked our mother and father," remarked Dawnleaf.

Ravenheart gave a slight snort and they all kept waking till they reached two makeshift nests in a small circle of bushes. In the nests were Lakeheart and Sandpelt, sharing a rabbit.

When Sandpelt saw them he quickly said, "It's not a ThunderClan rabbit. It was on the other side of the border. Lakeheart killed it before it crossed."

"It's okay Sandpelt, keep your fur on," said Ravenheart. Then there was a slight rumble sound and Ravenheart licked her chest in embarrassment.

"I'll fetch you all some fresh-kill," said Lakeheart and she got up and stretched.

"I'm fine thanks," said Icepool, "I'm going to go down to the moonpool once the sun sets."

"Then I'll catch you one for later," Lakeheart walked off to the bushes and Sandpelt spread himself out across the nests.

"Make your own nests if you like," he said calmly, "there's plenty of room in this little circle of bushes. It's like the warriors den back in the ShadowClan camp!"

"Don't mind if I do," said Ravenheart and she started to claw at the ground where she would put her nest. It was back in the corner on the opposite side of Lakeheart and Sandpelt's nests.

"I'll take the middle," said Dawnleaf, "In WindClan we usually sleep in the open."

Dawnleaf started to make her nest in the center of the ring of bushes where there's nothing covering the stars beginning to show in the pale blue sky.

"I'll make mine later," Icepool said. Instead she waked out to the top of the hill and looked out over the lake.

From where she was sitting, you could see the bright orange sun begin to sink into the twoleg nests on the other side of the lake. She looked up at the sky beginning to turn different pinks and purples against the small clouds, making way for the dark of nighttime. Looking down, she saw the WindClan camp. It was completely exposed except for the small trees on the sides. Inside you could she the cats begin to take there places in there nests in the center of the clearing. They all seemed to be missing something that would never come back. I bet we have to leave the territories completely before they forget us, she thought.

Then she looked to the RiverClan camp, you couldn't see much except for some cats around the stream in the medicine cats den, getting ready to fall asleep by the sound of the gently flowing waves in the river.

Then she looked to ShadowClan territory, there she couldn't spot the camp, but she could see the final patrol beginning to disappear into the trees and head for camp.

Finally she looked to ThunderClan territory. She could see a cat at the edge of the stream where she had crossed earlier sniffing at the ground. Then the cat seemed to give up and its head drooped, looking at the ground. Icepool stood up and wanted to run toward the cat but stopped herself before going. She was not a ThunderClan cat anymore and had nothing to do with them.

Icepool shook her head, which shook her paw, which make some rocks begin to tumble down the hill across the stony path.

The cat's ears pricked and looked up at her. Icepool froze unable to think of what to do. Before she could think the cat was running at her full speed with its tail held high.

As is got closer she could tell it was a she-cat. She saw it was a tabby with white paws and a white chest. Then she realized who it was.

Leafpool! What is she doing looking for me when she knows I left the clan for good?

Before she could run, Leafpool was a few tail lengths away. She could hear her shouting to her, "Icepool, Icepool wait!"

Then she came up in front of her and started gasping for breath from the long run she just took. When she caught her breath she began talking again, "Icepool, I need you, your clan needs you."

"I already told you Leafpool," remarked Icepool trying not to sound harsh, "It's not my clan anymore. I left and I'm never going back."

"It's Mousefur," she started ignoring Icepool almost completely, "She says that I'm a horrible medicine cat to just let my apprentice leave. Now she's threatening to chase me out of the clan with you, and find a new medicine cat for ThunderClan. Some of the warriors are starting to think the same."

Icepool was shocked at the words that came out of Leafpool's mouth, "What about Firstar, he's your father; he'd never stand for something like this against you."

"I know, and he doesn't. But they think that it's only because I'm his daughter, and they're not considering what will happen to the clan if I'm not there. The clan will only get weaker and weaker. I thought maybe, if you came back, then they'd stop and leave me alone."

"Well I'm not going back," before Leafpool could speak she added, "You know as well as I do that once we cross into the mountains, none of the cats will remember we ever existed. Then Mousefur will have no reason to kick you out of ThunderClan. The only way to remember us will be in dreams, or in the hollow that the moonpool lays. Now please Leafpool, don't make this any harder to say, I'm not coming back."

After a long pause, they both looked up and saw the stars were already appearing. Then Leafpool looked back and said, "At least come to the moonpool with me one more time."

Icepool agreed, and they both set off down the path to the moonpool. At the rocks they took their places and Leafpool looked up at Silverpelt, "Warriors of StarClan," she started, "Icepool was a fine apprentice, and a great medicine cat to ThunderClan. Now let her serve her new clan well, and heal their lives as she did ours. Let the StarClan warriors of RainClan take her in as their new medicine cat upon her arrival, and serve her new clan mates for all the moons of her life."

At the end of her speech, Leafpool bent down and lapped up water from the moonpool, and fell asleep. After she was in her dreams, the moonlight sparkle in her pelt that Icepool had received when becoming a medicine cat seemed to fade. Then she lapped up the water and felt the cold go through her just as she had done a quarter moon ago.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a clearing with Leafpool, when two cats appeared in the clearing in front of them. One was Spottedleaf, and the other a blue tabby, with eyes the color of the lake.

"You have served ThunderClan well Icepool," spoke Spottedleaf, "But you can no longer bare the moonlight sparkles of a ThunderClan medicine cat."

Icepool's whiskers drooped, but the blue cat went on, "When you arrive at RainClan, you will bare the moonlight shine of a RainClan medicine cat."

"Is there really a difference?" asked Leafpool. Icepool was thinking the same thing. Was there a difference between a moonlight sparkle and a moonlight shine?

"Yes there is," answered Spottedleaf, "You explain Rainstar, you better than me at this."

Rainstar started to tell them, "Look at Leafpool's sparkles, they are specks arranged in the order of lightning, just like Riverclan's form the shape of a river, Windclan's spiraling wind, and Shadowclan's is just slightly duller.

With Rainclan, their leaders and medicine cats get a shine that spreads across there fur like the large river running through our territory."

Icepool sort of understood, but who was Rainstar? Before she could ask, he said, "I am Rainstar, I was the very first leader of RainClan."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Wow."

That's all that could come into Icepool's head at the time. She was standing with a cat that no ThunderClan-and few RainClan- cats would ever see in their lives. And she was looking at him.

"You led all those cats to a new territory several moons time trip away?" asked Leafpool, "How did you do it?"

"I didn't," he started, "I wasn't even born when my clan left the forest. My mother had told be we were decedents of a cat named Brokentail's followers. We had become a group of rouge cats trying to find somewhere where we could live by the warrior code again.

At the time we were in the Tribe of Rushing Water's cave, that's where I was born. I actually thought I was a tribe cat. We stayed there for about ten moons before setting off again.

But while I was there, I actually became a to-be. But not just a normal to-be, Stonetellers. I had told him I kept seeing these cats in my dreams so he thought I would become the newest leader of The Tribe of Rushing Water.

But before I finished training, my mother convinced the clan that the tribe was not where we were meant to stay, so then we left.

About two moons later we found our home by the river, and we were all given proper clan names again. I became Raincloud, and my best friend became Clouddapple. The rest will be reviled to you when you arrive Icepool."

"But how do I get to you?" she asked, "I don't know the way."

"Let the dying warrior guide you to your first stop, and then the stars will give you your next step," said Spottedleaf.

Then the two cats began to fade and Icepool blinked awake by the moonpool.

"Dying warrior?" she wondered out loud, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She means a falling star," said Leafpool hearing her. When she saw Icepool's confused face she said, "A star that streaks across the night sky. One was used to guide the clans here, now it's to guide you to your new home. Just follow the way it falls."

Icepool nodded telling her she understood. Then they said their final good-byes and Leafpool went back to her camp.

Icepool stretched awake the next morning and looked at her sleeping family around her. Lakeheart and Sandpelt were sleeping together at the entrance to their temporary den, Dawnleaf was stretched out under the hole in the sealing, and Ravenheart was in the back corner cleaning herself.

"Morning," she said, "How was the moonpool last night?"

"Fine," she answered, "I've got a question for you."

"And I've got an answer."

"Why have you been so made at Lakeheart and Sandpelt?"

Ravenheart hissed, "How could they leave me in RiverClan all alone like that? I was only four moons old by the time they both left. Why would they leave just because some stupid tabby was threatening?"

"How could the leave me alone in WindClan?" Dawnleaf's hiss scared her when she realized she wasn't sleeping, "At least you had memory of your family Ravenheart, all I had was a queen with none of my blood to suckle me. And how come you got to be with at least Lakeheart when we had no one?"

They both looked at Icepool and she felt like all the trees around the lake were piling up on her shoulders. Finally she said, "How am I supposed to know? But it doesn't matter anymore, what's important is that we make it to RainClan as soon as possible."

Both the she-cats seemed to calm down as Lakeheart and Sandpelt woke up. Ravenheart went back to cleaning herself and Dawnleaf walked out to go hunting.

"So what did you find out at the moonpool last night Icepool?" asked Lakeheart, "Did they tell you where to go?"

"Sort of," she said, "I have to follow a star that streaks across the sky. But I don't know how to do that in the daylight."

"Well what did they say specifically," asked Sandpelt, "StarClan are never that clear are they?"

"He said to follow the dying warrior," she answered, "I figured that meant the falling star, but I'm not sure anymore."

Icepool wasn't about to tell them she had met with Leafpool that night. That would just look like she wanted to stay, when she'd rather go to a place where she could get some answers. She still wished she didn't have to though. Even with all that, eventually the four clans would be a memory.

"Did StarClan give you any prophesies before all this started?" asked Ravenheart.

Icepool tried to remember. She new they did but she couldn't remember what. She tried to think of what had been happening when she got the prophesy to maybe jerk her memory.

She began to remember it suddenly, "Rain you shall find, Cloud and Star's time over, And destiny awaits three sisters." Every one in the small clearing cocked their heads in confusion. Then she tried to think of the meaning, "I think Rain is RainClan, Thunder is ThunderClan, River is RiverClan, Wind is WindClan and Shadow is ShadowClan."

"What about the family part?" asked Dawnleaf walking into the den with two rabbit in her mouth, "Sandpelt and Lakeheart are clan born. Right?"

"Well I know I wasn't," started Lakeheart, "I was found drowning it the lake when I was only a moon old."

"I was never sure," mentioned Sandpelt, "No one actually treated me like a mother. All the other kits had a proud mother and father by their side when apprenticed, all I had was you Lakeheart."

The two cats began to rub against each other and purr. Icepool was just trying to get the image of two apprentices in love. She always figured that the love part started as warriors. But she lived in a different world; she would never feel what it was like to be in love with a cat.

That day, Icepool kept watch on the sky for something that could lead them to their new home, but all she saw were clouds. She saw on cloud that seemed to look like a cat running into the mountains toward the rising sun. But she couldn't be sure. Even if it was, that wasn't a dying warrior.

At about sunhigh Icepool decided to have a look around the moonpool. She had never been there in daylight before and she never got the chance to look around at night. So now would be the best chance.

She walked around to the back side of the hollow and sniffed around. She started to smell this scent that reminded her of the medicine cats' den in the ThunderClan camp. She followed the scent and came to a broad leafed plant. Chervil! As she sniffed around more, she found every single herb that Leafpool had taught her. If only this was in ThunderClan territory, she thought, we'd never have to search all day for herbs.

Now twilight was approaching and she wanted to get one last look at the sky on the hill before the sun fully set. She walked up to the peak. She looked up at the twilight sky and saw a cloud that seemed to be changing shape. It turned into a cat-like shape, apprentice shaped, and it seemed to just sit there. Then another cloud came over and also took the shape of a cat. Only this cat was hissing. Before she could get a clear look, night time winds blew the clouds away from the setting sun, just like the other cloud from earlier. Then the clouds disappeared and there was no more wind.

She searched the sky one last time before heading back to the makeshift den. In the den she sat next to Dawnleaf below the appearing stars and they began to clean each other.

"So have you gotten anything from StarClan about the dying warrior?" she asked, "Or where to go?"

"Well I did see these strange clouds," she mentioned, "They all headed toward the direction the sun rises. Maybe we have to go there."

"Sounds reasonable," Dawnleaf answered, "Just as unclear as StarClan usually are."

Icepool purred in amusement, "We should still wait for the dying warrior before we set off," she mentioned between licks, "Rainstar and Spottedleaf never said anything about clouds showing where to go."

"Rainstar?"

Icepool took the rest of the time before all the stars came out to tell her about the leader of RainClan so many moons ago. She also told her about the meeting with Leafpool and how she told her what the dying warrior sign meant. Surprisingly, Dawnleaf didn't seem to care that she'd saw her old mentor again. And she just gave a snort when Icepool asked who her mentor was and if she'd miss him.

"Truthfully," said Dawnleaf, "I can't wait to get out of here. It's hard to have someone you love in other clans. Not a tom, you and Ravenheart. We're all kin, so we have to stick together."

Icepool wasn't shocked when she didn't mention their parents. They were just along for the ride. No one told them to travel to RainClan with them, the just came. Icepool was actually wondering if they would live in RainClan or not.

The group of cats walked to the peak of the hill after all the stars came out. Icepool looked up at them and looked for the falling one. Suddenly, one streaked out across the sky toward the rising moon.

"Looks like we should get moving toward the mountains," she said, "Let's get to the edge of the woods, and then we'll get some sleep for the night."

"We're leaving now?" asked Dawnleaf.

"Yes now," said Ravenheart, "Icepool you take the lead, I'll keep guard in back, and Dawnleaf, you make sure our parents don't fall over from walking."

"We're not elders yet," said Sandpelt.

"You might as well be though," purred Lakeheart, "you're scratched up enough to look like you battled a pack of badgers!"

"Actually it was cat crazy twolegs," purred Sandpelt back.

"Can we just get going?" said Dawnleaf, running out of patience, "The faster we get to the mountains, the quicker I get to sleep."

The small group walked through the small stretch of woodland between the moonpool and the mountains. She looked down at her paws and saw some snow beginning to fall onto the ground again. It wouldn't be very long till the heart of leaf-bare came. Then new-leaf wouldn't be far behind.

They kept going through the trees, keeping eyes and ears open for danger. But all she could hear was the rustle of prey in the undergrowth. It still looked like the woodland in ThunderClan territory. She was guessing it felt weird for Ravenheart; she was used to water everywhere she went. Now she was in think woodland, StarClan knows how far from water.

But it would be especially be aukweird for Dawnleaf. She was used to living in the wide open space of the moor, not trees every where you look. And when she looked back, she seemed to be crouched lower, and she was staring nervously at the trees above her head.

They kept on moving through the woods till after moonhigh before they finally found the edge of the trees. Dawnleaf darted out into the open space as if she just escaped joining StarClan that night. But it wasn't surprising seeing how she had seemed to feel trapped under the trees.

"So where are we sleeping?" asked Sandpelt, "my paws are sore."

Icepool looked around across the line of trees. She could see some bushes and low branches here and there, but nothing that they could shelter in. She looked up to the tree tops and saw that the branches were clustered together. She leaped up a tree and walked out on to the leaves that were weaved together.

She lightly stepped on the leaves, and when they didn't give, she put more pressure on the leaves until she was lying down on them. They didn't even give the slightest hint of breaking through and letting her fall to the ground.

"Come up here!" she called back, "The leaves are so close together they could hold a badger!"

Slowly they all came up onto the branches, even Sandpelt managed to pull himself up. They all eventually made their new makeshift nests in the tree. Even Ravenheart decided to join them when she usually denied a lot of things that could help them.

"I'm going to go find you something for your pads Sandpelt," said Icepool, "I think I scented something on the way here that could help."

Icepool leaped out of her nest back to the ground and began following her own scent to where she scented the herb before. She had her nose to the ground tracing her scent until she found this strange plant. Then all their scents just vanished. Vanished like the memory of them in the four clans.

She sniffed every where around the odd plant but the scent trail was nowhere to be found. She looked at the plant. It had large broad leaves, and they were an odd green color with bluish spots.

She sniffed the plant and it had no scent at all. I guess it's an herb that eliminates scent. Maybe if I put it around the tree it'll keep away any foxes and badgers, she wondered, but I still need to find that herb for Sandpelt.

Icepool got her distance between her and the scent eliminating plant she decided to call nostrans. Now she new the leaves would get rid of any scent within a fox length of the herb.

She began searching for the herb and when she found it she went back and put it on a nostrans leaf. Then she put the two ends of the leaf together and began to head back toward the tree.

When she got there she lept up the tree and was careful not to wake her sisters who had dosed off before she left. She walked over to Sandpelt and put the herb on his pads.

"What's that smell?" asked Lakeheart.

"I don't smell anything," said Sandpelt. And somehow he seemed to feel no pain from the herb, which always stung when she used it after walking on the old thunderpath to much.

"Exactly," answered Lakeheart, "What's that leaf you used?"

"I call it nostrans," Icepool answered, "it might have a different real name, but I'm not sure. It can eliminate all the scent a fox-length around it."

"Wow," Sandpelt let out a huge yawn and fell asleep.

"Well get some sleep Icepool," said Lakeheart, "It's after moonhigh and you need to get some sleep."

Icepool took that advice and curled up in her tree nest. It felt good to know that they had finally got on their way. Now, nothing could stop them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The early dawn light woke up Icepool the next morning. She stretched in her tree bed and looked at the sleeping cats around her. She had a peaceful dreamless sleep that night. With no StarClan cats or Star haunting her thoughts.

She still had no idea on Star's full name. All she new was 'star'. The sooner she made it to RainClan the sooner she could find out just what they need from her, and what Star's name was. I wounder if I'll get a new name when we get there, she wondered, they are a different clan, and maybe they call their kits and apprentices something other than 'kit' and 'paw'.

Icepool leapt down from the tree and opened her mouth to scent the air. She could smell lots of prey in the area form lack of being hunted in. She dropped into a hunters crouch, but it was a little off because as a medicine cat she didn't hunt as much. She slowly stalked toward a rustling in the bushes, she wasn't sure what is was, but she new it was prey. She stopped, then pounced, and killed it with one quick bite on the neck. When she looked at her prey, it was the biggest rabbit she had ever seen! It had to be at least a tail-length long, maybe more, and it was a fat as a six moon old kittypet-and that's pretty big. She triumphantly dragged her kill back to the tree and hid it in a crack in the tree. Then she jumped up the tree and saw that Dawnleaf was just waking up.

"I got some fresh-kill," she told her, "probably enough for all of us if we divide it right."

"All of us?" she sounded supprised, "let me see."

They both leaped down the tree and Icepool showed her the rabbit. Icepool thought she heard a wow from her mouth but she wasn't sure.

"I've never caught a rabbit that big," she finally said, "and I grew up in WindClan. So to put it short, that is the biggest dang rabbit I have ever seen."

Icepool licked her chest fur in embarrassment. She new it was big, but not that big. But she wasn't quite sure what 'dang' meant.

She heard the movement of cats in the tree above her head. Then soon all of them were feasting on the huge rabbit she caught. They were all soon sun bathing on a small hill near the tree. Now it was sunhigh and everyone was starting to seem to be loaded with questions.

Before they asked any she said, "We'd better get going. We should at least get to the tribe of Rushing water within the next two days."

"Only two days?" said Sandpelt suppressed, "That's a long way through those mountains. Don't you think maybe we could go a little slower?"

"So we can freeze in the mountains and be stuck there once leaf-bare sets in?" remarked Ravenheart, "I don't think so."

"I'm with Ravenheart," said Dawnleaf, flicking her tail toward the mountains she said, "I'd rather sleep with a new clan than sleep in the cold mountains during the leaf-bare moons."

Soon the small group of cats where at the face of a mountain. Lakeheart was ready to jump when Ravenheart stopped her, "Maybe we should go around. It's a tall mountain, but it's not that wide."

Ravenheart flicked her tail to the other side of the mountain a couple fox-lengths away. Lakeheart heaved a heavy sigh and they got in their formation, only this time Dawnleaf took the back. Then they continued to travel into the mountains.

The mountains towered over their heads as they traveled onward. They were covered in snow and more snow was coming. On the side of one mountain, it looked like there was a path with a broken hole in one spot. She looked to the bottom and thought she saw what looked like a long left clan apprentice body. He must have died on the way through the mountains, she thought.

Then she looked back to her paws and they felt slightly wet. Cold wet. She looked closer and thought she saw the same star sparkle as the moonpool. But it couldn't be water from the moonpool, could it?

Shaking that thought out of her head she tried to focus on what was in front of her. She could see the boulders on the bottoms of the mountains, and some trees father up ahead. But they weren't the kind of trees she was used to. They had leaves that were a different shade of green, lighter and duller than the ones back in ThunderClan.

When they entered the trees Icepool pricked her ears and focused her nose on anything that could come out and attack. She had herd tales of cats living in these mountains, and wasn't sure if they were friendly.

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes and Icepool stopped. She opened her mouth to try to get a scent, but she couldn't smell anything but some mice.

She kept going again, but then herd something on her other side. She jerked around and got ready to pounce.

"What are you doing Icepool?" asked Dawnleaf, "Did you hear something?"

Icepool didn't answer. She spotted a brown pelt behind the bushes. She dropped lower, ready to spring, but the cat sprang at her! Icepool felt the wind get knocked out of her. He let out a yowl of distress to her friends, but when she looked, they were all under other cats. But at least they weren't out numbered.

Icepool used her tail to pull herself between her opponents back legs and out from under her mystery opponent. Then she got on its back and used its weight to knock another cat off Lakeheart.

"Thanks," she said, and ran off to help Sandpelt.

Icepool ran over to Dawnleaf and clamped onto the cats back with her teeth. But she at once switched to her claws at the taste of mud on the cats fur. Then the cat began yowling, knocked her off, and left to the refuge in the bushes.

She was about to go help Ravenheart, but the cat got off of her and sat down with its tail curled around its paws. Its fur lay down flat and its tail wasn't fluffy anymore.

"You are a RiverClan cat," he said calmly, "You have the RiverClan scent," when Ravenheart looked confused on why he wasn't still attacking, he added, "RiverClan cats are honored here. One of them saved my tribe from complete destruction."

Then Icepool remembered the tail of Feathertail, who gave her life to save the tribe cats on her way back to the clans.

"Is there anything we can do for you and your group?" he asked.

"Well," she started, "we could use some shelter for a night or two. We're just passing through."

"We'd be honored," he dipped his head and called, "Crag."

"Yes Stoneteller?" Crag walked out from the bushes with the other cats. But the only way Icepool could tell it was him is that he was at the front of the patrol. All the cats were covered in mud for some reason that Icepool had no idea of.

Soon they were with the group of cats heading up a river. Icepool tried to remember things about the tribe from the stories she had herd as a kit. She remembered they had cave guards and prey hunters instead of warriors. And that the leader was also the medicine cat, he was called the healer.

Icepool looked at the Stoneteller in front of her. The mud was beginning to wash away and she could see the tabby pelt underneath. He seemed nice, but he seemed to only be interested in Ravenheart.

Soon they came to a waterfall, and the cave guards led them behind it to a cave. In the cave there was a small stream, and small hollows in the ground probably used as nests. Many of the apprentices-she remembered were called to-bes here-were looking at them and whispering things to each other.

She thought she herd something like, "Clan cats again!" and, "Haven't those cats bothered us enough?"

Stoneteller took them to the enterece of another cave and sat down, "So what are your names?"

"Well I'm Ravenheart," she began, "this is Icepool and Dawnleaf," Ravenheart flicked her tail toward them, "and these are our parents, Sandpelt and Lakeheart."

Stoneteller nodded, "Great to meet you all. I believe you are coming to find another group of cats. Am I correct?" the clan cats all looked at each other, "The Tribe of Endless Hunting told me that a group of cats was coming from the clans, and that I was to help. They also told me to take the Healer of the small group to the Cave of Pointed Stones. I currently believe the Healer of your group is Ravenheart because of the way she seems to be in charge."

"Well I guess that's me then," said Ravenheart, "I guess we should-"

Icepool cut her off, "no, I believe that would be me."

Stoneteller didn't seem to convinsed, and neither did her sisters, that an apprentice sized cat like her was considered the Healer.

"What are you talking about?" Ravenheart asked, "The Healer here is the leader. And as you can tell that would be me."

"No it wouldn't," Icepool protested, "The Healer here is also like the clan medicine cat. And you were never leader. I've been leader ever since we left the lake. You just want to take this opportunity to become the leader, when in reality, if you became leader you'd guide us to nowhere since you can't get StarClans help."

Apparently Ravenheart admitted defeat and sat down, letting out a hiss of frustration. But she just followed the cave guards and the others to their temporary nests.

Icepool followed Stoneteller into the Cave of Pointed Stones and saw tons of stones pointing from the ground and the sealing. There were also many pools of water on the ground. She pricked her ears and could hear voices, but not of StarClan, of ancestors she had never known. But then she herd a voice that seemed familiar. It was a sweet voice, but she couldn't figure out who it was.

"Over here," Stoneteller called. He was by a larger rock in the center. He put his paw in the water and seemed to drift to sleep. Icepool did the same and felt the same cold rush run through her as at the moonpool.

When she opened her eyes, she was on the small hill by the forest that they had sunned on just that morning. On the hill was a silver tabby she-cat. She twitched her tail for her to come closer. As Icepool walked forward, she could recognize Feathertail.

"Feathertail," Icepool dipped her head to the RiverClan she-cat, "How has it been going?"

"Well I guess," She said, "and Rainstar had me tell you you're on the right track. But you will have a detour in your travel."

"What kind of detour?"

"Mothermouth," she said, "It's in danger. The twolegs are fussing about how they believe that a valuable stone in deep inside and they are going to dig it out."

"But we don't use the Moonstone anymore, why do we have to go and rescue it?"

"The Moonstones power is slowly being taken to the moonpool, but it has not finished transferring yet. So if the twolegs take it now the moonpool will never reach its full potential."

"So how do I save it?"

"You have to travel to Mothermouth with the moonpool water, and then the water will destroy the stone and absorb its power. That way the twolegs won't damage anything."

Before Icepool could question her further, she disappeared and she was lying down the Cave of Pointed Stones again. Stoneteller was standing over her with a warm look in his eyes.

"Come," he said, "I will show you to your nest."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Icepool looked around the cave from her nest with her sisters. The cats were all asleep now except for the cave guards by the waterfall. She looked up at the rocks on the sealing, with points that could kill if they fell. She thought she could see the shadows of cats across the cave walls suddenly. They looked like they were all hiding from a huge cat. And the huge cat had cornered a smaller cat that looked like a warrior.

Then a shadow of one of the sharp rocks fell on the large cat killing it. But another cat had dropped the rock down with her own weight and killed herself too. She thought she could hear voices saying, "How could she give her life for cats she's never known?" and another saying, "She did what she did for a reason, but we just have to keep going. We will mourn Feathertail's death, but now we have a job to do."

Icepool guessed it was the group of cats returning from their mission to bring the clans to their new home. Stormfur must have mourned Feathertail's death for a long time, but he managed to move on and look at the future.

And I need to be like Stormfur, she thought, I have new cats to watch over me now, I just need to leave the past behind and look to the future.

That morning, Icepool stretched and looked around the cave. After her vision last night Icepool felt better about leaving the clans behind to find these unknown cats. But she wanted to learn some things before they left the tribe tomorrow.

Icepool walked over to Stoneteller at the mouth of his den. He was talking to a group of cave guards that were probably returning from a patrol. She waited until they left before walking up to him and asking some questions.

"Good morning Stoneteller," she greeted. Stoneteller dipped his head in greeting and let her go on, "Do you remember a group of cats that came through here a long while ago? From the old forest?"

Stoneteller seemed to think for a moment before answering, "I do," he said, "One kit had the potential of being the next Healer of the Tribe of Rushing Water. But he left with the rest of his family toward an unknown area. We haven't seen the cats since. But some of the cats joined the tribe. Some of them are still here today. But only one of them is still doing full duties."

Icepool nodded, "What was the cat's name? And do you remember why he would be a good apprentice-I mean, to-be for you?"

Stoneteller seemed to understand why she was asking questions because he never asked why she was. She just answered, "His name here was Rain from storm Cloud. But when he left his mother she probably changed it to a warrior name when they arrived at their new home," Stoneteller stopped to think for a moment before continuing, "I'm pretty sure that Rain was seeing cats with stars in their pelts. I thought they were from the Tribe of Endless Hunting, but I guess they were your ancestors. What were they called again?"

"StarClan," she answered. Icepool was about to thank him then ask if there was one of the former clan cats she could talk to, but he spoke up first.

"Would you like me to show you some mountain herbs?" he asked, "If you are coming through then you should know what the herbs are here."

"Sure, I'd love to."

Stoneteller went over to some cave guards and told them to come and protect them while they were out. Icepool tried to tell him that she could fight for herself, but he wouldn't listen. Soon they were quite a way down the river and he stopped by a green bush.

"These are no cough leaves," he said, "They cure white cough, green cough, and black cough."

Icepool sniffed the leaves and recognized catmint. She looked around for anything to use to recognize the area, but only found an odd shaped rock on the other side of the river.

Stoneteller took her up and down the river several times before reaching the end of it and stopping. He looked out and twitched his tail to a mountain with a flat top, "That mountain marks the edge of our territory," he said, "from there my cave guards cannot help you. Tomorrow you will set of that way and climb to the top. There is a cave there for shelter so you can stay there. On that mountain you can see four many length beyond there. That way you can find your way to Highstones."

Icepool was about to ask how he knew that their next stop was Highstones, but Crag cut her out, "Stoneteller, if you keep talking then we'll never make it back before nightfall."

Stoneteller dipped his head in agreement, and they all set of back up river.

Icepool looked up at the half moon from where she sat at the pool at the end of the waterfall. By now the medicine cats would be on their way to the moonpool to share tongues with StarClan.

She looked down at the water in front of her and could see the same stars as when she looked into the moonpool. The rest of the water was regular though, so she couldn't figure out what was making the water that way.

Icepool tried lapping up some water, and felt the same cold rush as at the moonpool. The ground seemed to disappear under her paws and she found herself in a forest with nothing around her but trees. She tried sniffing the air for scents, and she could smell a faint ThunderClan scent. Icepool began to race toward it, when she suddenly ran into something. She looked up and saw the gentle eyes of Leafpool!

"Leafpool it's you!" shouted Icepool, she couldn't believe she was actually seeing her.

Leafpool sniffed her, "Icepool? Is it really you?"

"Of cores it's me mouse-brain," remarked Icepool, "I'm so glad to see you!"

The two of them groomed each other for what seemed like moons, until finally Leafpool asked, "So have you made it to your new home yet?"

Icepool gaze dropped to the floor. If it weren't for the detour, they probably would be there by now, "No," she answered, "we're with the tribe cats now. Tomorrow we leave for Highstones."

"Highstones?"

Icepool explained to her the dream with Feathertail and how water from the moonpool was supposed to engulf the Moonstone to finish gaining all of its ancient power. Leafpool eyes began to widen as she told the story, but she didn't seemed to be scared of destroying the Moonstone in anyway.

"Well you could stay with Barley and Ravenpaw while you're there," she answered, "they have plenty of prey. I just hope they can smell ThunderClan from all of those other scents on you."

Icepool let out a purr of amusement before the dream began to fade and Icepool was lying down by the pond. A paw was prodding her in the side.

"Are you going to sleep in the cold in the middle of leaf-bare?" asked Dawnleaf, "or do you want to come sleep with me?"

Icepool let out a purr and went to go sleep with her sister.

It was around sunhigh when they reached the flat top mountain. They had already said good-bye to Stoneteller and were climbing up the mountain. The path had some grass growing on it, but it was mostly stone. The side of the mountain was to steep and rocky to climb up, so they had to take the spiraling path.

"How much longer?" Dawnleaf whined, "My pads are starting to hurt."

"We're only half way up," said Ravenheart, "How are your pads already hurting?"

"Well my pads are used to the soft moorland," she answered, "not rocks. I'm surprised you're not complaining Ravenheart. You've been licking your pads every time we stopped on the way here."

Ravenheart licked her chest in embarrassment. It was true her pads were hurting too. She had asked Icepool for the herb back at the cave. Truth is none of their pads were used to the rough mountains. That's why on their way back they would travel along the edge of the mountains instead of through them.

When they were further up the mountain, Icepool could look of the edge and see the waterfall. She thought she saw Stoneteller walking back into the cave with the cave guards. She thought she could see a hawk in one cat's mouth, so the cave guards probably learn how to hunt too, just to be safe.

As they walked farther up the mountain, Icepool noticed there was more grass under her paws. She was about to look up to see how much farther they had, but a cold gust of wind hit her in the face. And when she looked up she saw the same cat shaped cloud, being pushed by the wind toward the setting sun. She knew they were to go that way, but she had to finish Feathertail's mission first.

As they continued, the ground began to get softer and softer. When she looked up again, she could the top was only a few fox-lengths away. She began to run but the wind hit her in the face again and she tumbled onto her back.

"Be carefully!" scolded Lakeheart, "The wind is strong up here and you could fall down the mountain."

Icepool remembered those bones she saw when traveling through the mountains. If that happened to a cat before, she didn't want it happening again. She quickly got up, shook her head and began walking again, only this time closer to the side of the mountain.

Finally they made it to the top and Icepool could see the cave. It was made of rocks and mostly underground, but that would keep the wind out. And the top was covered with moss they could use for nests. She could even see a couple herbs growing by the wall inside it.

"Well here we are," she announced, "let's start making those nests in the cave. Then we can look for some fresh-kill."

Talking about fresh-kill reminded her of how hungry she was. The last thing she had to eat was a magpie early that morning before they left. Now it was almost twilight and it was getting colder. And when the wind hit her again, it carried the sound of her stomach growling to everyone else behind her.

Ravenheart purred, "Hungary are you?" she teased. Icepool's ears burned in embarrassment. "I'll go with Lakeheart and go hunting a little way down the mountain. Dawnleaf and Sandpelt, you can start making the nests. And Icepool," she turned to her sister, "you look around on the ground to plot our next route."

"Yes oh great Ravenstar," Dawnleaf teased, "would you like me to kill myself for you to eat if you find nothing?"

Everyone purred, even Ravenheart. But she licked her chest in embarrassment after, "Very funny. Now let's get to work. We may be here one night, but the wind makes the leaf-bare nights even colder."

Without saying anything more, they all went about their duties and Icepool went the ledge of the mountain top. From there you really could see everything. Just on the horizon was what looked to be the Tangle of Thunderpaths she'd herd about. But they still had to pass several things before they even got that far.

Later Dawnleaf padded up to her with a rabbit in her mouth. She nugged it in front of her motioning to share, so Icepool dipped her head and began eating.

After she licked her lips she said, "I thought Ravenheart and Lakeheart weren't back yet."

"They aren't," she answered I found this rabbit sleeping in the cave. So I took the opertunity to catch it before it ran of. But even if it did it would have to either fall of the mountain, or be cornered."

Icepool let out a purr and looked back out at the horizon, "If we follow the Big Thunderpath, then it should eventually lead us to Highstones. The hard part will be getting through the Tangle of Thunderpaths over there."

"I have an idea," she said, "what if we crossed the Big Thunderpath to those flat areas with all the horses. Then we just follow the river back to Highstones."

"That's a great idea."

After nightfall they walked back into the cave and lay down in their nests. Icepool and Dawnleaf were in the back, Ravenheart the right of them, and their parents to the left.

Then finally she slept with no problems on her mind. She hadn't slept that way for half a moon now. She missed it, and wished she could sleep that way every night. But sadly, that couldn't happen.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Icepool stretched awake to the warm den on the flat top with her family. The night was warm in the den, even though it was probably chilling on top of the mountain. Which she quickly realized was true when she stepped outside. The wind nearly knocked her back into the den, and the cold made it feel like a pile of snow hit her. This actually did happen about three seconds later when a sudden blizzard hit. It knocked her back into the den where she lay on the ground for a few moments to recover before shaking the snow of her pelt.

Some of the snow landed on Dawnleaf and she quickly jerked awake and shook her pelt shouting, "Cold! Cold! Cold!"

Her shouting woke up everyone else, "What now Dawnleaf?" asked Ravenheart sleepily.

"I don't know. Suddenly really cold snow hit me on the back!" she said. Then she looked at Icepool who was still covered in flecks of snow, "What happened to you?"

"I went outside to check the weather, and I got hit by a sudden blizzard!" she said. She shook her pelt again and everyone jumped back to avoid being hit. Then she continued, "It looks like we're not going down the mountain today."

"Then how will we get food?" asked Lakeheart, "If we can't go outside, then neither can the prey. And the rabbits that were in the den last night retreated further into their burrows."

Icepool looked at the hole in the wall where the rabbits were. A kit could fit in that hole and fetch some rabbits, but not a full grown warrior. But if she and Dawnleaf made the hole a bit bigger they could fit. Both of them got their names at a young age, so they were still the age of the average apprentice.

Dawnleaf must have got the same idea, because she began digging at the hole. Within minutes there was a hold that a warrior could fit through. She looked at her work with pride and said, "You coming?"

"It's food," said Sandpelt, "Of course I'm coming."

With Dawnleaf and Icepool in the lead, they began traveling further into the tunnel. Eventually the tunnel got bigger and bigger, but it was still uncomfortable.

Why do rabbits sleep underground? She wondered, they must have the brains of Twolegs if they think underground is a cozy place to live. There's no sunlight for their kits to grow strong, and it's really gloomy.

As they kept going, it got darker and darker, and there was still no sign of rabbits. Soon there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and they all poked their heads out of the hold and found themselves in a patch of bushes at the edge of the Thunderpath.

"That's strange," said Lakeheart, "The blizzard's gone."

They all climbed out and looked out at the Thunderpath. The stench of the monsters came over her as one roared by. It turned onto another Thunderpath and kept going away from the mountains.

"That's the way we have to go," said Icepool, "If we cross the Big Thunderpath, then we can travel through the fields till we get to the river. Then we can follow that to Highstones.

"Why don't we go across the smaller Thunderpath, and then stay to that side of the Big Thunderpath until we reach Ravenpaw?" asked Sandpelt.

"Do you want to spend the night with Twolegs?" asked Dawnleaf.

Icepool thought she heard him say no, but then Lakeheart swiped her tongue across his ear and whispered something to him that Icepool couldn't hear.

Then the small group began to travel onward toward the Big Thunderpath. It wasn't very far, so when they got there, they still had time to quickly cross before another monster roared by.

As they kept going, they eventually came to a white fence with bushes covering the bottom. The small group went through the bushes and under the fence, but then Icepool stopped. She opened her mouth to drink in the scent, and she could smell cat. And by the racket they made on the ground, she guessed it was two kittypets stalking toward them in the grass.

"I know you're there," she said. The grass stopped moving, "I'm not stupid you know. You can come out now."

"I told you to keep your paws light on the ground!" said a voice. It sounded like a tom, but she couldn't be sure.

"I was trying!" said a younger voice.

"Give'r a brake. She's trying the best she can," said another voice and the tree stepped out of the grass. A dark brown tabby tom walked out with a grey she-cat and a young black tom. "I'm Shade," said the black tom, "This is my little sister Sun, and our unofficial mentor Hutch."

Icepool looked at Hutch, "I've heard about you from Firestar," she said, "You're that cat who chose not to stay with SkyClan."

Hutch looked embarrassed, "It's true," he said, "I did leave. But then I saw that my Twolegs had gotten a new cat and wouldn't let me back inside. I felt crushed, but I didn't want to face humiliation from the clan if I started begging to rejoin. So I decided to travel on my own."

"Then eventually he found us," said Sun, and she walked over and started to rub her pelt against his, "He said he'd love to train us to hunt for ourselves. Because when we we're born, we were taken from our mother and brought here. We had no idea how to hunt and then Hutch showed up and taught us."

"We all live in the barn back there," said Shade, "If you want to stay a night, you're welcome to."

"We'd love to!" Dawnleaf quickly accepted the offer and ran over to the small group of cats, "Lead the way! I haven't eaten since moonrise last night!"

Icepool suddenly realized how hungry she was. It was sunhigh now and she hadn't eaten in what felt like moons. So the small group followed Shade, Hutch, and Hutch's little admirer Sun to the barn.

The barn was a pale red, and instead of being a square like normal barns, it looked more like a triangle. But from the inside it looked like a square with two corners closer together. In the small space between the two corners were three nests on top of a stack of hay. The whole barn was covered in hay. There were also stacks of hay that you could climb to a second floor, but the second floor wasn't complete. It was only about four tail lengths from the wall.

The ground wasn't as rough as the Thunderpath when she walked in, but it wasn't too great either. But Sun, Shade, and Hutch didn't seem to care at all. Her family though was licking their pads when they all sat down by a pile of fresh-kill by the nests.

"Take some fresh-kill;" offered Sun, "The barn is crawling with mice."

"But that doesn't mean y'all can eat it all," said Shade dryly. By now Icepool and her sisters could see that Shade had an accent that he probably got from one of his parents.

"Come on Shade," said Hutch, "Now it's time for you to give them a break."

They all sat down with a mouse and began eating. Sandpelt sat with Hutch -and Lakeheart close by of course- Dawnleaf and Ravenheart sat with Shade to talk about hunting and fighting techniques, and Icepool went over at sat with Sun who had sat down in the hay alone.

"So how did you end up here?" asked Icepool, "I want to know the whole thing."

Sun sighed and looked at her paws, "When Shade and I were young," she started, "I can just remember that my mother was a kittypet living in the Twoleg Place not far from here. Our father is a loner, he never liked the way of a kittypet, but was too solitary to join the clans unless they made him leader of the whole forest. So one night he came and took the two of us from our mother, he planned on taking us here and raising us to fight for ourselves. But the night he came here with us-we were about four moons old then- a huge cat attacked and killed him. But luckily our father killed him first; the energy it took to fight the battle killed him. We ate food from the Twolegs in the nest close by for a while, but then Hutch came.

He saw us so small and unprotected, so he decided to take us and train us. But when the Twolegs saw him, they stopped brining food to us, they only brought milk. StarClan knows why they did that, maybe they thought Hutch would take it all or something.

Anyway, when we turned six moons old, he gave us the names Sun and Shade. Now he's been training us for about a moon, and teaching us the way of warriors."

"So your only seven moons old?" asked Icepool. Sun and Shade didn't look seven moons, they looked much older. But when Sun nodded she decided to change the subject, "If your mothers Twoleg nest isn't far, why don't you visit her?"

"She wouldn't recognize us now," she said sadly, "When we were born, I was white, and Shade had a fire-red pelt. Some how when our lives went downhill our pelt colors changed. Our mother was a beautiful white with red spots, our father was jet-black."

"Maybe if you find a happier life you color will change back," suggested Icepool, "I've heard stories of cats whose pelts can change colors depending on the condition they're in. Maybe for you two it's happiness."

Sun nodded, "I guess it's possible. But it looks like I'm in a position where I can never regain a happy life. If I want to survive I have to get better at hunting and fighting, I never was good at either. And my brother says I have to stop thinking I'm having dreams with cats I've never known."

Icepool pricked her ears in surprise, "What kind of cats?"

Sun cocked her head at Icepool, she had a confused look in her pale amber eyes, "Why does it matter?"

"Just tell me,"

"Well I've seen two blue cats with blue eyes, a really pretty one that called herself Spottedleaf, and-"

Icepool cut her off, "I know Spottedleaf!"

Suns eyes widened, "Really? How? Is she part of the group of cats you lived with?"

"In a way. Actually, she died many moons ago. She was the ThunderClan medicine cat, but now she walks with StarClan."

"Hutch told us about that. Medicine cats are the ones who heal the clan and communicate with StarClan, your warrior ancestors. I wish I could do that."

"Maybe you can," Sun jerked her gaze to Icepool, "I think those other cats are Stonefur and Bluestar. They are also members of StarClan. Maybe you're destiny is to be a medicine cat."

A light grew in Suns eyes, but then faded again, "How? I'm not a clan cat. I'm a loner who lives in an odd shaped barn. And are you really sure I'm supposed to be a medicine cat? I thought only other medicine cats could tell."

"Actually I am a medicine cat."

Suns eyes grew wide again, "Really? But you're like, my age. I thought it took moons upon moons to become a medicine cat."

"Well I'm a little older than you. And I became a medicine cat at a young age. Just like Dawnleaf became a warrior at a young age. I think it was to prepare us for this journey we're on right now."

Sun was about to respond when Hutch's voice sounded from the other wall, "Do you want to come training?" he asked, "If we sit here all night we'll have no more food 'till tomorrow."

Icepool exchanged a glance with Sun and they both ran to catch up with Hutch.

Out in the field, Hutch was watching Shade practice his hunting techniques. Icepool was walking around the field with Sun trying to show her some herbs.

"Maybe if we convince Hutch to rejoin SkyClan, then we can come too and I can become a medicine cat," said Sun.

"Maybe," answered Icepool, "But Hutch has to want to go there, you can't make him."

"I already know he wants to go back," said Sun, "He always talks about how he wishes he had stayed with the clan. But he's always been too scared to go back because he's afraid that the clan won't let him back in."

"He just doesn't realize that a clan is family yet. In a clan, it doesn't mean you give up on each other. You have to stick together."

The two of them continued to talk until twilight, when Hutch found them and they all went back to the barn and stayed the night. Icepool was about to ask weather Hutch really wanted to go to back to SkyClan, but when she found him he was already sleeping.

Icepool decided to just go to bed herself. She climbed up the hay stacks to the second floor and made a nest on the highest stack on hay. She may be inside, but she wanted to have the same open space feeling as outside the barn. So she curled up and went to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Icepool stretched awake the next morning to a pale white cat almost directly in her face.

"Come on!" Sun shouted, "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Go?" Icepool asked drowsily, "Go where?"

"The river! We're going to go to our new clans!"

"We?" Icepool asked, "You mean you're going to SkyClan?"

"Yup," Shade leaped up onto the hay stack, "Sun couldn't help askin so she blurted it out last night and now Shortwhisker's takin us to SkyClan."

"Shortwhisker?" Icepool was confused, "So he took his warrior name back? How?"

"Well he insisted to Ravenheart that he needed to have a real warrior give him the name again, but Ravenheart told her that he never fully diminished the name. She said Leafstar would be okay with it, and Cloud told her he was okay with it last night," Sun had so much excitement in her voice it was hard to understand her.

Icepool was about to ask about the 'Cloud' cat she mentioned, but she didn't want to confuse the young soon to be apprentice.

The three cats hopped down the hay stacks to the mini fresh-kill pile, where every one else was already eating. She grabbed a mouse and gobbled it up, then decided she didn't want to take anymore, so she could have the other cats have some.

"Just take as much as you want," Shortwhisker insisted, "No one's coming back here."

Icepool nodded and quickly took a juicy mouse from the pile and devoured it. Then she looked up slightly embarrassed and began to clean her face.

Before they left, they all lay down under the rising sun and let the heat warm their bodies. Icepool looked at Sun who was next to Shade. The sun must have suddenly woke her up because she realized that Sun's fur began to look whiter, and Shades fur looked like Firestar with black spots.

_They're reaching their happiness_, she thought,_ their pelts are changing back to the original color._

The sun was into the sky, but it wasn't quite sunhigh yet. So the slightly larger group left the farm and began to head for the river. When they came out of the bushes under the fence, there was just a long plain ahead of them. But not long enough to hide the river. You could see water splattering up against the rocks and logs. Icepool guessed it was still a wild current from the big storm they had.

"You guys aren't crossing that," mewed Sun, "Are you?"

"No," mewed Ravenheart, "Sandpelt isn't strong enough yet. We'll cross the river farther down, closer to Highstones."

"Come on Ravenheart, I'm not that weak," purred Sandpelt. He stretched and flinched, "But I am old."

"We're not that old Sandpelt," Lakeheart purred back, "We're about senior warrior age."

Ravenheart rolled her eyes, "Well anyway, it will be sun-high soon, and I can tell you're all hungry by the way you're wobbling when you walk. So let's just go to that clump of reeds over there, and we can get some fish ore mice."

"I'm a fan of water voles," mewed Shade.

Sun licked her lips, "Same here."

Icepool took her turn and led the small party across the plain. The tall grass was scurrying with mice and rabbits, but Icepool fought her hunger and kept going.

But a few paw steps later when they reached the reeds, she walked over to dead fallen down reeds and collapsed. The world seemed to blur around her. She could see a flaming red and snow white blur hovering over her.

She could hear voices saying things like,

"What do we do?"

"What just happened?" "What do you think? She just passed out!"

"Well what do we do?"

"I don't know! You have nothing to do when it's the _medicine cat_ that passes out!"

Then it just went black.

She looked around the dark forest. There were no stars in the sky, just a dark black nothing. The ground beneath her was covered in moss, and rustling went on all around her, as if no cat had been there for thousands of moons.

She walked forward and peaked through the bushes into a clearing. Two large tabby toms stood over a small black apprentice. One tabby had amber eyes, and the smaller had ice blue eyes. She couldn't see the young apprentice's eyes from her view, but she could tell he was a mixture of joy and scared.

Then she looked back to the ice blue eyed cat. She recognized him almost immediately. _Hawkfrost_. How could she not see it before? She had seen him at a gathering before his death. She only saw him once, but it scared her so much, it was practically burned into her memory.

She looked back to the larger cat. It looked just like Brambleclaw! But it couldn't be, he had the evilest gaze in his eyes._ Tigerstar_. She had herd about him in elder tales. He looks just like Brambleclaw, but the evilest cat in the history of the forest. Other than Scourge.

Icepool tried to listen in, but was out of earshot. Then there was a rusting behind her, and she jumped almost into the clearing. She turned around and saw Spottedleaf walk over to her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Icepool was confused, "Didn't you call me here?"

"No. This is something you have nothing to do with. I wouldn't need to call you."

"Then why am I here?"

"I don't know, but I have to save Jaypaw from making the biggest mistake of his life." Spottedleaf pushed past Icepool and into the clearing. When Icepool looked at Tigerstar again, he was looking at her. Smiling.

He had brought her here. For reasons she had no clue about. She immediately turned and ran. She pushed past bushes and twigs, not caring if she sounded like a herd of twolegs. She just ran.

But then she reached a clearing where a jet black cat sat in the middle. He had amber eyes, even colder than Tigerstar's. Across his left eye was a scar, from a cat. You could clearly identify all four claw marks across his eye.

"About time I found you kitten," he meowed, "Thanks to you, I'm what I am today. A lone outcast that sits alone in the dust outside StarClan."

Icepool felt herself begin to shake, "W-w-w-who are you?" she barley stuttered out.

"Midnightstorm," he meowed. He walked over and stood in front of her, "Starlight hasn't told you about me? She never did like me."

_Starlight?_ She wondered, _Is that who that 'Star' cat is from my dreams?_

"Oh well," he meowed, "Just so you know, It's because of your 'legacy', as she called it, I had no choice but to stop Cloudstar from keeping out of the clan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I might as well tell you if Starlight hasn't," he was about to sit down when a fog came over the clearing, and an acrid scent filled her nose. "What the-"

Icepool put her paw over her nose, "It smells like…mouse bile?"

The world went black in front of her.

Icepool opened her eyes, and say Dawnleaf holding a wad of mouse bile in front of her. "She's awake!" Dawnleaf shouted, "Are you okay sis?"

Icepool looked at the huge rabbit in front of her. Dawnleaf nodded, and Icepool ate the whole thing.

"You okay Icepool?" asked Shade, "You just…fell over."

"Yea," mewed Sun so excitedly she looked as if she was going to do a back flip. Then she started talking really fast, "Youjustpassedoutandwehadnoideawhattodo! Itoldthem, dunkwateronherandtheshockofthefreezingwaterwould

wakeherup. Butn-o-o-o-o-o. Shadesaidweshouldbiteyournose,butIknewthatwouldhurt. SoIwaslike,noway,andhewaslike,yeaway,butIwaslikenowayand-"

"And I woke you up with the mouse bile," Dawnleaf cut in.

"Well thank you for not biting my nose," she meowed.

"Ha!" Sun shouted.

"Or dunking cold water on me." Shade stuck his tongue out at Sun.

"What's with the tongue?" she asked.

Sun looked confused, "What do you mean, 'what's with the tongue'?"

"Exactly that. What's with the tongue?"

So it took till a little after sun high to explain to Icepool what it meant to stick her tongue out at some one. It seemed strange to Icepool, but eventually, she did it to Ravenheart later.

"Sun, you have decided to follow the path of a clan. By doing so, your name is no longer proper. The fire of the sun lives with you, even though your color is white. From now on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sunpaw. May your leader Leafstar choose a wise mentor for you," meowed Ravenheart.

Icepool decided, that before they parted, that the young apprentices should at least have a proper name for the final of their trip.

"Shade, you have also chosen this path. Your black pelt dose not show yourself proudly, and your new red pelt dose not example you former name. The flame in your heart to protect your sister is as bright as your pelt. You shall be known as Flamepaw. May Leafstar choose your apprentice wisely as well."

Icepool chanted their new names several times, but she became lost in thought about the dream she had. Midnightstorm seemed like such an evil cat, not one to belong in StarClan. The image of him still burned in her memory perfectly. The bright amber gaze, the scar across his eye. How could this cat be good? She decided to try and meet Starlight tonight, after the were on their way.

"Thanks so much Ravenheart," mewed Sunpaw, "It feels like I'm finally a clan cat now."

"Same here," meowed Flamepaw.

"Always glad to help," meowed Ravenheart, and she dipped her head to the young half-apprentices.

It was near twilight now, and Shortwhisker, Sunpaw, and Flamepaw where going to set off for SkyClan now. They figured if they followed the river, they'd be there by nightfall. But Icepool and company would leave the next morning.

"It's been great knowing you Icepool," mewed Sun, "I hope you make it to RainClan."

The two cats touched noses. "So do I," she mumbled under her breath.

"Well let's not waste all day saying goodbye," meowed Shortwhisker, "Can't waste daylight."

"Yes Shortwhisker," said Flamepaw.

The three cats all turned and walked down the river. Then Ravenheart and Icepool went to the makeshift den in the reeds. Dawnleaf was in the back corner, looking kind of distracted. Though it's odd enough that she's not in the center.

Icepool walked over to her, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Dawnleaf looked up at her and motioned with her tail to sit down. So Icepool sat at looked back at Dawnleaf. She had the most troubled expression on her face.

"You know how when you woke up earlier, you had a scared look on your face?" she started. Icepool nodded. "Well once I saw your face, a strange image came into my head. It was of this strange black cat, with amber eyes, and a scar across his left." Icepool gulped, _Midnightstorm_. "Well when you left to say goodbye to the others, I took a nap and I saw him again. He said that I had to help him go to StarClan somehow, but I don't know what to do!"

Icepool thought for a moment. Maybe if she really could find other cats in her dreams like Starlight said, she could find Midnightstorm again. "I have an idea," she finally meowed, "We have to try and find him again."

"How do we do that?"

"Just take another nap."

Obediently, Dawnleaf put her head on her paws, and she could soon see the steady rise and fall of her breathing. Then Icepool put her head down, and fell asleep. _Time to get some questions answered._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"I'm telling you Dawnleaf, it's actually me."

"How can I know for sure? I'm asleep."

They are now asleep, and Icepool has worked her way into Dawnleaf's dream to go to Midnightstorm. Now if Icepool could only convince Dawnleaf that it's really her.

"Say something that I would never dream," said Dawnleaf.

Icepool sighed, "You think Onestar is the best mentor ever."

Dawnleaf's eyes widened, "You ARE my sister!"

"Just follow me. I may have made it to your dream, but I'm still not sure if I can reach Midnightstorm."

"Fine, we can play follow the leader."

"Can you ever stay on topic?"

Icepool sighed and sniffed the air. She found Dawnleaf by scent, so she figured she could do it again. But then she realized she had no idea what his scent was. So she just found the best scent she could and went with that. The scent was really nothing at all. It smelled just like the plant, actually, it smelled like nothing at all. She remembered that until she was woken with mouse bile, she hadn't scented anything. Maybe, before Midnightstorm died, she had rolled in the stuff.

Soon the trees above their heads became dark with the starless sky. She knew they were going the right way. Every so often, a rustling would be herd in the bushes. It would always be ahead of them. When she scented the air, she could smell nothing. So she chased it.

"What are we doing?" asked Dawnleaf.

"You know what we're doing and don't deny it."

Dawnleaf shut up.

Eventually, the rustling stopped at a clearing. Midnightstorm jumped out of the bushes.

"It's about time you got here," he said.

"It's only been a few minutes," said Dawnleaf confused.

"You don't know how time works in this wretched place," he sat down, "Shall we get started?"

"Yes," meowed Icepool calmly, "First just tell us what happened to you."

"Why can't we start with what dose he want with us?" asked Dawnleaf, "Can't you get some one else? You look like the kind of tom that would have a son."

"Well, actually, I have three sons and a daughter. Two of which are only apprentices. My eldest son…" he trailed off on that thought, "And my daughter is most likely being forced to help her brother. I want my daughter free, but there's nothing I can do. My eldest mistook the meaning of the things I did in RainClan."

"What were their names?"

"My eldest son is Shadow. He was Shadowtail before he was banished from RainClan. He tried to bring his sister Nightcloud with him, but she wanted to stay. And yet, Shadow came back and stole Nightcloud during the night. She was small so he just picked her up and left. My two other sons...I don't know what happened to them. Their names are Bramblepaw and Nightpaw. My mate always did love any name with 'night' in it." Midnightstorm seemed to trail off at the sound of his mate. She decided not to ask about her.

Midnightstorm cleared his throat, "Any way. I might as well start with the beginning with him. When he was born, Starlight warned me he would be trouble, but I didn't listen. He became apprenticed; his mentor was the deputy Crookedear. I'm not sure what happened to him. But apparently, he thought I was trying to over through Cloudstar. But I wasn't. I was only trying to help Crookedear. He was sick to I insisted that he temporarily became an elder till better. Cloudstar could assign another temporary one. When Cloudstar finally agreed with me, Shadow was a warrior. So when Cloudstar assigned a new temporary deputy, he was sure it would be me. Actually he thought that through apprenticeship also, but that's not the point now. The point is, I did become deputy. So Shadow decided to 'help me' as he put it. He began to gather ever rouge and loner that happened to pass by. He got them together, and attacked Cloudstar.

"I was definitely not in favor of this, but he thought I was. With Crookedear not in power, I would become Midnightstar since I was deputy. Shadow looks just like me, so in the battle, he attacked Cloudstar, Cloudstar thought it was me. I got Shadow off of him, but Cloudstar still hit my eye. Shadow pushed me back out of the way and got rid of Cloudstar's eighth life. Shadow immediately left, leaving me for Cloudstar."

"Where comes the Shadow getting banished thing?" asked Dawnleaf.

"That was right before the battle," he responded, "But before I forget-"

A loud rumbling started to kick up and Icepool and Dawnleaf began to shake back and forth. _Ravenheart! Why wake us up now?_

"Your sister has a job to do in RainClan!" he shouted over the noise, "Prepare her for her leadership!"

Then they woke up and he was gone.

"Good morning lazy furs," said Ravenheart in their faces, "Time to go; we've got quite the trip ahead of us. Dawnleaf, any idea on how long it'll take us to reach Ravenpaw?"

Dawnleaf began to stagger to her paws, "I'm estimating one days travel to get to the Small Thunderpath. Then it's a pretty direct route to the barn, which will take about half a day if undisturbed. And we're pretty far ahead of the half moon, but we'll get there a day or two before the full moon."

_Sometimes I wonder how she dose that._

"Feathertail never said a specific night, so maybe we can do it on the full moon," meowed Icepool.

"I don't care how late you have to do it, I hear that barn has tons of mice," joked Sandpelt.

"That's my Sandpelt," purred Lakeheart, "Always thinking of his stomach."

So the group set of after eating that dawn. On the way down the river, they had a pretty straight course. There were no twolegs to disturb them, and the horses didn't seem to care of their presence. They traveled till sunhigh before they ate again. Dawnleaf was convinced she was actually getting chubbier since they left.

It was a clear day, so when they set off again they didn't have to warm themselves up from the leaf-bare cold as they did that morning. They just kept going on a direct course down the river.

A while before twilight, Dawnleaf stopped and pricked her ears. "What's wrong?" asked Ravenheart.

"Shh," whispered Dawnleaf, "I hear something."

Icepool didn't hear anything, "What are you meowing about?" she whispered, "I don't-"

Then she heard it. There was a roaring sound that came in, and then faded. Then again, and again.

"The thunderpath!"

Icepool wasn't sure who said it; she was already two fox lengths away. Soon she came to a sudden halt a mouse length from the thunderpath. Huge monsters roared by, sending large vibrations down her spine.

"Icepool!" she turned around and saw Ravenheart at the bottom of the slope, "Come down here!" she shouted above the roar of the monsters, "There's a way underneath!"

Icepool carelessly ran down the slope; then did two forward rolls after tripping. When she got up she followed the others to a large hole under the thunderpath. The walls were made of a strange silver wavy stuff, and there was a small stream of water running through the center. She went over and sniffed the water, but jumped back in disgust. _Gross!_

She had just then realized how bad this place smelled. She became dizzy and nearly passed out. But luckily, Lakeheart picked her up by the scruff and carried her out to a patch of bushes before she did.

"The moon sets in the flower that smells like fox dung," said Icepool still delirious.

"Good thing we haven't gotten any bigger," said Dawnleaf, "or she would have passed out."

"Yes," meowed Ravenheart sternly, "but you shouldn't have tried sniffing the water in the first place."

"Sorry," mewed Icepool softly after figuring out where she was.

"I'll go out and see if there's any prey that would bother to stay near a thunder path," meowed Sandpelt getting up, "But if I can't find anything, we'll be going to bed hungry."

"I'll go with you," said Lakeheart, and they both left.

"Well what are we supposed to do now?" asked Dawnleaf. "All there is to do here is-" Dawnleaf cut of her own sentence when she saw Ravenheart's ears prick. "What are you doing Ravenheart? I don't hear anything. If I did I would be quiet but I don't hear-"

"Shush," Ravenheart whispered. Pause, "You can't hear them?"

"Who?" asked Icepool.

"Lakeheart and Sandpelt, they're talking just outside the bushes."

"How can you hear them through the bushes? These are the thickest bushes I've ever seen."

"Maybe it's where she's sitting," suggested Dawnleaf, "I'll go over there and see."

Dawnleaf walked up next to Ravenheart. Nothing. She took a step forward and froze in mid trip after her paw hit Ravenheart's paw. Her ears pricked. She could hear them.

Icepool walked over and touched Ravenheart's other paw. Suddenly she could hear them.

"How are we going to tell them?" she herd Lakeheart say.

"I'm not sure," said Sandpelt, "But we can't just tell them when we get to Rainclan. The sadness would keep them from doing whatever they need to be doing with their lives. We have to tell them before we get there."

Then the voices faded as they went to look for food. Icepool backed away before Dawnleaf finished her trip and landed nose first in the dirt.

"Tell us what?" asked Icepool, "What did they say?"

"They don't want to live in Rainclan," said Ravenheart, "They'd rather roam the world." Icepool was surprised. There was no sadness in her voice. She seemed to not care.

_I guess it would be better_, thought Icepool,_ Without them, Ravenheart and Dawnleaf wouldn't really care who spent the most time with them. There would be nothing to remind them._

But Icepool's thoughts were still clouded by the thought she may never see them again.


End file.
